‘I wasn’t making it out alive’: Cancer survivor’s VAD hope

Terminal cancer patient Ceara Rickard thought she’d never live to see the day when voluntary assisted dying became available in Tasmania.

Terminal cancer patient Ceara Rickard thought she’d never live to see the day when voluntary assisted dying (VAD) became available in Tasmania.

VAD was legalised in 2021 and will be made available this week at the end of an 18 month implementation period.

Ms Rickard had been championing the cause for many years, but spent six months in a “really horrific” condition in hospital last year when her organs went into failure.

“I had a couple of admissions in Hobart and during one of them we actually thought I wasn’t going to make it,” Ms Rickard said.

“My immune system really wasn’t functioning and was attacking all of my organs. They told me I wasn’t making it out alive, but I managed to make a miraculous recovery.”

Ms Rickard said her condition has improved substantially and has no plans to access VAD, but says she’s comforted knowing if her health does worsen she will have options.

Ms Rickard said she was pleased to see Tasmania implement VAD services so quickly, giving other patients the option to end their suffering with dignity.

Ceara Rickard of Hobart who is terminally ill with cancer is moving back to Adelaide and helping with the latest voluntary assisted dying legislation set to go a vote in the SA parliament. Ceara was a big campaigner of Tasmania getting VAD legislation passed in 2021. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Dying With Dignity Tasmania president Hilde Nilsson said activists had been fighting for VAD services for decades.

Ms Nilsson is currently retired, but said that during her career as a nurse she’d witnessed terrible suffering in wards around Tasmania.

She said the laws were a welcome change, but that Dying With Dignity would continue to lobby the government to make VAD more accessible.

Certain restrictions still remain on VAD services, with patients needing to have less than six months to live or 12 months if they have a neurodegenerative disease.

The legislation is up for review in three years, and Ms Nilsson is hopeful that some of these restrictions will be relaxed further.

“At long last Tasmanians will have a choice at the end of their life if their suffering cannot be relieved by any other means,” Ms Nilsson said.

The laws have drawn stiff opposition from the Archdiocese of Hobart, which has made it clear that Catholic healthcare providers would not be supporting or offering these services.

Southern Cross Care in Tasmania CEO Robyn Boyd said she could not support the laws.

“I just don’t understand VAD at all, quite frankly… our staff have a commitment to keep people safe and well,” Ms Boyd said.

“People don’t want to end their life, they want to make sure their end of life is peaceful. From my experience, that’s what concerns our residents.”

The Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill was introduced to parliament by independent MLC Mike Gaffney and passed in March 2021.