VAD is a gift

NSW is joining other Australian states and NZ in allowing terminally ill people to access voluntary assisted dying, bringing comfort and choice at the end of life.

Navy veteran Dan Colgan* holds his fingers a centimetre apart. “Dying is just this much of it,” he says.

The 63-year-old West Australian father of four and grandfather of two has incurable brain cancer. He has been approved for voluntary assisted dying (VAD) and can now access medical assistance to end his life – on his own terms.

Dan describes VAD as a gift.

“Now the dying has been taken care of, we can focus on the living.”

By the end of November, NSW will become the final Australian state to allow VAD. Only the ACT and Northern Territory are yet to pass laws.

Dan’s story

A year ago, Dan collapsed while playing hockey. He woke up in an ambulance following a violent seizure. After three months of testing followed by brain surgery, doctors told him he had a glioblastoma multiforme; an aggressive, fastgrowing cancer with a life-expectancy of just 14-months.

“I felt shocked at first, completely floored,” Dan said. Having watched his father’s long battles with cancer, Dan told his family “That’s not how it’s going to be for me.” He stopped traditional treatments and is now pursuing his own care regime.

The VAD option

Dan first heard about VAD from his brother-in-law, a GP.

“He said to me: ‘If you decide to pursue VAD then make it a priority – you will likely encounter lack of understanding and even opposition’ and that proved to be true.”

Dan said the first GP he approached was “like a deer in the headlights” when he raised the topic of VAD. “She almost ran out of the room.”

But another GP pointed him to the VAD care navigators, a group of nurses and social workers who guide people through the process. “I was expecting to have to fight to get what I wanted,” Dan said. “But from the first conversation to the last, I was respectfully and gently guided through the process. I was encouraged to ask questions and proceed at my own pace.”

After a series of requests and assessments by two independent doctors, Dan’s VAD application was approved. “I experienced an overwhelming sense of calm knowing the manner of my death was largely in my control” Dan said.

Accessing VAD

For all the benefits VAD brings, it can be hard for some to access. It can be challenging to find a doctor willing and able to do the assessments and many people are unaware the option exists.

Dr Linda Swan, the Chief Executive of VAD advocacy group Go Gentle Australia, says it’s important people know their rights.

“Some laws forbid doctors from raising VAD with their patients – so you need to start the conversation yourself. Remember, you are within your rights to ask to see another doctor if yours can’t or won’t help you,” she says. “The VAD care navigators are the best place to start,” she said Despite getting the green light for VAD, Dan wants to be one of the 7% of people with glioblastoma alive after five years.

“You don’t know until the last minute whether you’ll go ahead with it. But I believe being approved for VAD has extended my life. It has certainly extended my quality of life.

“I could have spent my last months in fear and worry about myself and my family. Instead, I have gained selfdetermination and choice. Nothing has been taken away.”.

Dan joined the Royal Australia Navy as a 15-year-old Junior Recruit in January 1976. He served in a variety of ships and establishments before his final posting to Defence Force Recruiting. Dan completed his service in January 1989 in the rank of Petty Officer Writer.