Welsh Senedd member James Evans fought back tears during a debate on assisted dying while recalling his grandfather’s regret after he was made to prolong the life of Evans’s grandmother.
The debate took place in a plenary Senedd session on October 23.
“We all get into politics for different reasons,” Evans began.
“I got into politics because I gave my grandmother a promise. That I would never let anybody go through what she went through at the end of her life. Never,” he continued.
Evans’s grandmother, he said, was “incapacitated” by a stroke and suffering from dementia. Evans said his grandparents had discussed her care, and that: “They decided between them that if anything bad happened, that my grandfather would make the decision and my nan would not suffer.”
Following the stroke, Evans said his grandmother had “no life or quality of life”, yet doctors suggested introducing a feeding peg into her stomach to keep her alive.
“My grandfather took the decision based on the conversations he had with my grandmother that he wouldn’t do that to her. He decided that she should have the option to end her life naturally. The hospital came to my grandfather and said: ‘If you do this we are going to have you done your manslaughter.’ My grandfather regretted that decision that he had to make then to extend my nan’s life for the rest of his days,” Evans said.
Evans was speaking during a debate on a motion to support the principles of assisted dying in Wales.
In total, 19 Senedd members voted in favour of the motion, with 26 against and nine abstentions. Credit: Senedd.tv via Storyful
Video Transcript
All get into politics for certain reasons.
I’ll try not to get emotional.
We all enter politics for certain reasons.
I get into politics because I give my grandmother a promise that I would never let anybody go through what she went through at the end of her life.
Never.
My grandmother had really bad dementia, and my grandmother and grandfather discussed her care, and they decided between them that if anything bad happened that my grandfather would make the decision, my nan would not suffer.
My nan had a really bad stroke.
It left her incapacitated.
She couldn’t talk, couldn’t open her eyes.
But she was still alive.
She had no life or quality of life.
The doctors told my grandfather they could keep my grandmother alive by introducing a fee peg into her stomach.
My grandfather took the decision based for the conversation he had with my grandmother, that he wouldn’t do that to her.
He decided that she should have the option to end her life.
Naturally, the hospital come to my grandfather’s future.
This we’re going to have you done for manslaughter.
My grandfather regretted that decision he had to make then to extend my nan’s life for the rest of his days.
I made a promise to both of them.
I would never let anybody suffer like that again, and that’s why I support this today.
As Julie has said, 31 countries across the world have brought this in.
It is because of compassion.
It’s because of care.