NewsBite

Brave SA woman’s heartbreaking battle with illness comes to end

A South Australian woman, whose brave battle with crippling and painful disease touched thousands, has ended her own life under voluntary assisted dying laws.

23-year-old woman to end life through euthanasia in South Australia
NCA NewsWire

A terminally ill Adelaide woman has ended her own life under the state’s voluntary assisted dying laws.

In a funeral notice published in the Adelaide Advertiser, the family of Lily Thai said she had died at the Flinders Medical Centre earlier this week.

“Much loved daughter of Kate and Le. Beloved granddaughter, niece and cousin. Treasured friend to many,” the family said in the notice.

Lily Thai, with friend Danika Pederozolli, used voluntary assisted dying laws to end her own life. Picture: Supplied.
Lily Thai, with friend Danika Pederozolli, used voluntary assisted dying laws to end her own life. Picture: Supplied.

A funeral will be held Centennial Park Cemetary on Thursday, according to the family.

Lily’s story has touched thousands of people across the country before she took her last breaths on Wednesday

She had long asked that she be able to take her own life with dignity having suffered a painful battle with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.

Lily Thai in June 2017. Picture: Supplied.
Lily Thai in June 2017. Picture: Supplied.

Last week she said she intended to use her last remaining days to surround herself with friends and family.

“I realised that I can’t have any more anaesthesia, so I (couldn’t) have any more feeding tube changes (or) surgeries,” she told the Adelaide Advertiser.

“I decided that pain was so severe it wasn’t worth it, and I just wanted to take it into my own hands.”

Lily Thai ended her own life this week. Picture: Supplied.
Lily Thai ended her own life this week. Picture: Supplied.

After a long health battle, she spent her final days at the Flinders Medical Centre, where she said he mainly slept while in “excruciating pain”

She recently signed paperwork and used South Australia’s voluntary assisted dying laws, which came into law in January, to take her own life after being administered life-ending medication through IV.

Read related topics:Adelaide
Steve Zemek
Steve ZemekCourt reporter

Steve Zemek began his career in his native Queensland before moving to Sydney with Australian Associated Press in 2014. He worked as an NRL journalist for five seasons, covering the game all over Australia and in New Zealand before making a career pivot towards court reporting in 2019. He joined NCA NewsWire in mid 2020 as a Sydney-based court reporter where he has covered some of the state's biggest cases.

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/brave-sa-womans-heartbreaking-battle-with-illness-comes-to-end/news-story/2e6dedb846ffb3ac4fd31c2cf0e28b99