Downton Abbey star Samantha Bond 'wishes she could have helped her mother die'
'At that point I would have liked to be able to give her peace and lack of pain,' says Bond
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Samantha Bond has spoken out in favour of assisted dying, saying she wished she could have helped her mother die.
The 54-year-old actress, who plays Lady Rosamund Painswick in Downton Abbey and Miss Moneypenny in James Bond, recalls her mother’s death from bowel cancer in 2000.
Her mother, Pat Sandys, was a producer for The Bill and EastEnders.
“I don't understand why people put so many obstacles in its way,” Bond says to The Daily Mail.
“They talk of elderly people feeling they should die because their children are tired of looking after them. It isn't about that. It's about someone with a terminal illness. I watched my mum...”
“Mum was lucky. She spent two weeks in hospital and wouldn't have chosen to end her life until a week before she died. At that point I would have liked to be able to give her peace and lack of pain,” she continues. “If I could've said, 'Would you like an injection and we'll all be here?' She'd have said, “Yes, please.” I don't understand that I can give that to my cat, but not my mum. It's the ultimate cruelty.”
Assisted dying is currently illegal in the UK. The charity Dignity In Dying is campaigning for terminally ill, mentally competent adults, to be able to make the decision, after adhering to strict legal safeguards, to take prescribed medication to end their life.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments