A grieving widow has described her husband's final days as 'pure hell' as MPs prepare to debate a 114,000-signature petition on assisted dying. Liz Wilson's husband John, a 43-year-old quantity surveyor from Coventry, died in March after a six-year battle with terminal bowel cancer. The couple's ordeal began during the 2020 lockdown when John experienced persistent bowel symptoms, initially dismissed by doctors as constipation.
John was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in August 2020 after a private colonoscopy revealed a tumour that had spread to his liver. Over the next six years, he underwent 75 rounds of chemotherapy and three major surgeries. Liz said the gradual loss of his abilities was 'like a form of torture' for the once-strong 6ft3 man, who struggled to get out of bed, move around, and eventually eat.
John spent his final weeks at The Myton Hospices, where Liz said staff provided extraordinary care. However, she believes palliative care could not remove all his suffering. 'People often say pain can be managed, and it can, but sometimes it can't,' she said. 'A big element of suffering is outside of pain. His abdomen was crushing. He was struggling to breathe. The last three days were pure hell.'
Liz, who now suffers from PTSD, said John feared the loss of control over his death. He publicly campaigned for the Assisted Dying Bill in his final days, inviting ITV cameras into his hospice room to plead with politicians. The bill was passed by MPs last year but stalled in the House of Lords due to procedural delays. Today's debate follows public anger over the bill's collapse.
