A 20-year-old man with an inoperable brain tumour is pleading with MPs to reconsider their rejection of the Assisted Dying Bill, as it is his “only wish to die with dignity.”
Noah Herniman, from Falmouth, was diagnosed after a routine MRI scan in July 2021, following months of fatigue, weight loss, memory issues and breathing difficulties. His mother, Shelley Herniman, initially put his symptoms down to boredom, but his condition worsened.
Diagnosis and treatment
Noah suffers from neurofibromatosis type one, a genetic disorder that causes non-cancerous tumours to grow. He was told the tumour was inoperable and that chemotherapy was the only option to halt its growth. He underwent four years of the treatment, which he described as “hell.”
“I suffered every single side effect under the sun. I had burns, hair loss, nausea, lost my appetite, had to be fed via tube and was left in a wheelchair. I feel my teenage years were robbed away from me,” he said.
Plea for dignity
Noah, an aspiring actor, is adamant that he wants to “die with dignity” and was “heartbroken” by the rejection of the Assisted Dying Bill on September 11. “There is no way in hell I am going through a slow or painful death,” he said.
“I don’t care if I have to go to Switzerland, or what laws I break. But when it’s my time to go, I want to die on my terms with dignity. I’ve backed that I want to go through assisted dying ever since I was diagnosed.”
Family support
His mother, Shelley, said she was initially against the bill but changed her mind after seeing her son’s suffering. “I’ve done a full circle. I was totally against it at first,” she said. “But the more time went on, seeing how much he suffered through chemotherapy, my opinion changed.”
Noah has started university and hopes to make the most of life. He added: “In the time I have left, I’d love to become the next Doctor Who or at least become a famous actor. Most importantly, I want to make the most of being able to go out and live my life before time is up.”
