Simon Binner dies: Tributes paid to businessman who announced assisted suicide date on LinkedIn
Mr Binner was diagnosed with the disease in January
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Your support makes all the difference.A terminally ill businessman is believed to have died, after he used his profile on networking website LinkedIn to reveal the date he planned to end his life at an assisted suicide clinic.
Simon Binner, 57, of Purley, Croydon, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in January.
The father-of-three made headlines when he updated his LinkedIn profile to state that he would attend a euthanasia clinic in Basal, Switzerland, on Monday 19 October.
The British Humanist Association, which was involved in producuing a videio in which Mr Binner explained his choice, posted on Facebook on Monday that his “battle with motor neurone disease” is “at an end”.
Simon Binner's battle with motor neurone disease may now be at an end, but many others like him continue to suffer...
Posted by British Humanist Association on Monday, 19 October 2015
“Simon Binner's battle with motor neurone disease may now be at an end, but many others like him continue to suffer without access to the dignified death that they want for themselves,” the post read.
“Our thoughts remain with the Binner family at this difficult time.”
Family members, friends and supporters have paid tribute to Mr Binner, with is step daughter Hannah Drury sharing a report of his plan on Facebook alongside the caption: "my beautiful inspirations".
A friend wrote on social media, according to The Telegraph: "He has taken a brave and public stand on the right to end his life with dignity. Our prayers are with Simon and his family and I sincerely hope the UK will fast-track some more human legislation."
Mr Binner, who used a wheelchair because of his condition, wrote on his LinkedIn profile: "I died in Switzerland with Eternal Spirit on Mon 19 Oct 2015 and my funeral was on Fri 13 Nov 2015”.
In a section entitled Patient, Mr Binner explained that his MND had “accelerated very rapidly”.
“The sawbones initially thought I would last until 2017/2018, but they were mistaken - no worries, it's an inexact science!”
"I don't recommend MND! Better to have one massive fatal stroke or be killed instantly by a drunk driver! There is nothing that I can say that's positive about MND," he said of the incurable disease.
Debbie Binner, a former Sky News presenter and Mr Binner’s wife, said in a video filmed by the law firm Bindmans LLP and the British Humanist Association that her husband strongly believes he has the legal right to choose when he dies.
She added that her husband “doesn’t want to go to Switzerland and doesn’t want to go into a hospital” but laws stopping assisted suicide in the UK forced her husband to rush into making a choice.
“He wants to be at home as much as possible with his friends and family,” she said.
"And I think the most important thing to say is that Simon believes if that was available in the UK he may well want to stay alive longer. Christmas would be lovely for us to have Simon."
Mr Binner said: "I don't want to go to Switzerland either. I want to be here for Christmas but I can't be because I don't know. I have to go."
Andrew Copson , the chief executive of the British Humanist Association (BHA), said on Monday that the law should be changed for those who are terminally and incurably suffering to end their lives, provided they have made a rational, committed and uncoerced decision.
MPs in the House of Commons resoundingly rejectyed a landmark "right to die" Bill in September, by a margin of three to one.
Additional reporting by PA
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