Brett and Dianne Godden: Our lovely Cassie had no choice but to die in agony

CASSIE Godden could vote and drive but despite an excruciating illness, she couldn’t choose when to die, write her parents, Dianne and Brett Godden.

Brett and Dianne Godden with their daughter, Cassie, who died of cancer.

WE BELIEVE that patients who have done all they can to beat a disease or overcome a medical condition must be allowed to die at a time of their own choosing. The current debate on assisted dying focuses on the elderly but it needs to consider the plight of young adults.

ASSISTED DYING CHANGES DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT

The end of 2014 was a time of excitement for the youngest of our four children, Cassandra. She had studied hard for her VCE and graduated from high school, got her driver’s licence, received an ATAR score of 90 and was offered a $20,000 university scholarship.

Then, just before Christmas, she said: “Mum, I’ve got a sore hip.”

“Doctor sore or physio sore?” we asked. “Physio sore,” she said.

So in the New Year we took her to the physio. But when she returned from a trip to Japan in February, her pain and limp were increasing. Something was very wrong. We demanded blood tests, and then things moved quickly.

We were told to get Cassie to Melbourne, as it was thought she had bone cancer. In fact, our youngest had stage four metastatic melanoma cancer.

There was no indication it was sun-related, but it had eaten her left pelvis and was in her lungs.

After waiting weeks for approval, Cassie was given the new drug, pembrolizumab. She had three cycles of immunotherapy and two cycles of radiotherapy to shrink two tumours. Cassie was discharged and we had nine beautiful days before she was readmitted due to pneumonitis, a side-effect of immunotherapy.

Brett and Dianne Godden with their daughter, Cassie, who died of cancer.

Further tests showed the melanoma had moved into her bone marrow. Doctors said there was nothing else they could do and Cassie bravely made the decision to refuse any further treatment. She knew she was going to die.

She asked for a week to say her goodbyes; doctors gave her four days, saying they could now only make her “comfortable”.

What rubbish.

Cassie was on huge doses of painkillers and was outwardly unresponsive — but could still feel pain. She regained consciousness long enough to acknowledge she was being given painkillers and occasionally speak to us.

Cassie asked the nurses for “the biggest dose they could give”.

On the third morning, she begged the nurse: “Please tell me this is going to kill me.”

She was in excruciating pain and distress. She had said her goodbyes, and wanted to go. The distress extended not just to her family and boyfriend, but to the medical staff.

Cassandra passed four days after ceasing treatment. The question of how she wanted to end her life was never broached. It was illegal to help her to die, so the question was never asked.

But having watched her die, hearing her ask for the biggest painkilling dose, and beg “Please tell me this is going to kill me”, we have no doubt Cassie would have welcomed the choice to make an end-of-life decision. Whether she would have acted and ended her life earlier, we will never know. But if all palliative care can do is keep you in an induced coma until your body gives out, it is not enough.

The Gippsland Cancer Care Centre is only 5km from our home but we were told they could not cope with Cassie’s condition or adequately administer appropriate palliative care. Doctors in Melbourne could do nothing more for her. She had said her goodbyes, but could not ask to be allowed to die at the time of her choosing.

Cassie was intelligent, understood her illness, did all the doctors told her to, participated in medical trials, and submitted to radiation, CT scans, blood transfusions and excruciatingly painful biopsies. She maintained full control of her mental faculties and was capable of making an informed decision that the time had come to die.

Cassie was an adult, allowed to drive, drink, vote and leave home. But despite excruciating pain, she was not allowed to decide the time of her death.

Why do so many think it is acceptable to force humans to linger in this way?

We are convinced people in Cassie’s position must have the right to make the most important decision of their lives: when to die. We understand medical authorities need to have a hand in this process, and all the boxes must be ticked.

So we implore our politicians, please, pass this legislation.

It is long overdue.

Dianne and Brett Godden Morwell