Marie Fleming and husband Tom
THE partner of assisted suicide campaigner Marie Fleming broke down in tears on the Late Late Show last night as he read out a letter she had written to the people of Ireland.
Tom Curran spoke to Ryan Tubridy in an emotional interview about their failure to have assisted suicide recognised by Irish law.
Marie, from Lifford here in County Donegal, is in the final stages of multiple sclerosis and was “very disappointed” after the Supreme Court rejected her appeal against the High Court’s refusal to grant orders that would allow her to be lawfully helped to end her life at a time of her choice.
Mr Curran however said he was still prepared to help his terminally ill partner to end her life. He also revealed that Marie, a prolific writer, would publish her memoirs.
Tubridy had visited Marie at their home earlier this week.
But neither he nor the audience was prepared as Tom Curran read a letter she had written especially for the RTE1 programme.
Weeping at times, Mr Curran read Marie’s letter.
It read: “Thank you for listening to what I have to say. This is what was missing from the court.
“While I feel let down by the judgement it is more upsetting that I feel that I wasn’t listened to. It seems the State does not want me to die but all the time shifts away at my quality of time one cutback after another; the latest being the mobility scheme and the carbon tax increasing heating and transport costs.
“Shame on Enda Kenny for what he is doing to people like me. If the people who made the decisions won’t listen to me I would ask them to come and live with my life for just one day, even one hour, and tell me how enthusiastic they would be about living.
“It seems they will not give me permission to die but they will not help me to live either.
“On a positive note I want to say how grateful I am to Tom, my family and all my carers for what they do for me. They do all the things I wish I was able to do for myself like showering, dressing, feeding and even scratching my nose when it itches.
“I tolerate a lot and I don’t ask much. All I ask is to make my decision about death and to be given that help that I need to carry out my wishes. Through no fault of my own I cannot carry out my wishes myself. I am not asking to find someone to help me; I have that person already.
“All I ask is that I carry out my wishes without getting him into trouble. Is that too much to ask?”
Mr Curran then broke down as the studio audience burst into a round of applause.
