THE daughter of a woman from Oxford who starved herself to death has praised her mother’s determination.

Jean Davies, 88, died on October 1, five weeks after starting a fast to end her life.

The right-to-die campaigner had been suffering from ill health, including fainting episodes, but was not terminally ill.

British law does not allow for assisted dying and Mrs Davies decided to take her own life by starving herself.

Our top stories

The mother-of-four and grandmother-of-two lived in Oxford for the past 30 years, and campaigned on issues affecting the elderly, including pensioners’ rights.

It was reported that Mrs Davies had feared one day her fainting episodes might prove fatal.

Her daughter Bronwen Davies, 63, from Cardiff, was with her mother when she died.

She said: “I felt I had to support my mother in her wish but I felt angry with her because I was looking forward to going away with her for another weekend.

“Selfishly I didn’t want her to be dying and I certainly hoped that she would change her mind. I said ‘I would be delighted if you would change your mind’ but it’s an understatement to say that she was determined and if she set her mind to do something she would do it.”

Ms Davies added that her mother had previously talked about such a course of action to end her life.

But she said: “It was shocking to hear that she had taken this decision.”

Mrs Davies was a leader in the assisted dying movement and in 1997 her book Choice in Dying called for British law to allow doctors to help patients die.

Mrs Davies’ daughter said her mother’s GP was informed about her mother’s decision and he made it clear that he could not advise or assist with such a course of action.

“However, he wanted to reassure my mother and myself that she could still expect to be cared for by her GP,” said Ms Davies.

Before she died Mrs Davies alerted her friends to her plans in a number of emotional phone calls. Concerned that her fast was taking too long, she eventually stopped drinking.

Pensioners’ campaigner Bill Jupp, 83, who lives in Headington, said: “Jean was a member of the Oxford Pensioners’ Action Group and I met her on a number of occasions.

“Jean was a deep thinker, a very intelligent lady, and a determined campaigner. It’s a shame there was no option for assisted dying for Jean.

“She obviously felt her life was complete and could no longer participate in it.”

Dr Michael Irwin, of the Society for Old Age Rational Suicide, told The Sunday Times Mrs Davies “consciously decided to fast until she died”.

“Her death was an example of old age rational suicide,” he added.

  • Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone’s contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.