A British woman with terminal breast cancer has been euthanized “on a beach in the sun” in New Zealand just days after urging the UK to change its laws on assisted dying, her friend has revealed.
Tracy Hickman, 57, who was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer in March 2019, had been fighting for euthanasia rights in the UK before she died on Wednesday.
In a heartfelt tribute posted to Instagram, social media and Tracy podcasting star Dom Harvey shared a photo of the couple along with a caption that read: “Tracy Hickman passed away peacefully today.”
Speaking on Dom’s podcast two weeks ago, Tracy revealed the exact way she was hoping to go and went into detail about how she dreamed the day would go.
“I hope they have chocolate for breakfast because I’m a real chocolate addict,” she said with a smile on her face.
“And then I’m going to go to a beach with the people I love very much… and I’ll listen to the waves,” he added.
Tracy Hickman, 57, died by euthanasia on Wednesday on a beach in Bew Zealand, her friend Dom Harvey and his partner Paul confirmed on Instagram.
The British-New Zealand citizen had been suffering from terminal breast cancer since 2019 and urged the United Kingdom to change its laws on assisted dying.
Tracy, pictured with her partner Paul, said seriously ill people like her in Britain should have options about how to end their lives.
He said he would feel a “great relief” to be able to “do it that way,” adding that he felt like he had been given “a huge gift.”
Among the hundreds of emotional and supportive comments on Dom’s tribute post was one written by Tracy’s partner Paul Qualtrough.
“Thank you for handling this story,” he wrote.
“It’s been delicate, and the family really appreciated how you brought him to people’s attention in a way that allowed him to raise the awareness he wanted without sensationalizing or seeking attention.
“Thank you so much for turning the simple legacy I was seeking for your young great-nieces and others into something truly special.”
Tracy was subjected to euthanasia in New Zealand, where it has been legalized since 2019, just days after sharing a defiant message on social media where she stated that she was “at peace” with her decision to end her life on her own terms.
Last week, the British-New Zealand citizen told her fans in a brave statement: “The closer it gets, the more peaceful I feel.”
‘But I am very sorry for causing distress to my family and friends, although they understand.
“The alternative is to live a couple more months, but have an uncertain and painful death.”
Tracy has often spoken out about the laws surrounding assisted dying in the UK and used her online platform to fight for others in her position to be able to decide when is the right time to die.
“Look at what New Zealand has done and do it even better,” he said of his message to UK politicians, speaking to The Guardian.
Social media and podcast personality Dom Harvey posted a photo of a sunset on his Instagram along with a message from Tracy’s sister thanking him for a podcast he did about Tracy’s life.
“There is a lot of attention paid to the right to life, but people should have the right to a peaceful and quiet death.”
In New Zealand, laws introduced under the End of Life Choice Act in 2019 allow competent adults to choose an assisted death, under the strict conditions that they are terminally ill, aged 18 or over and have six months of life.
Linda Clarke, Tracy’s sister who lives in the UK, echoed his call to the UK government.
“If Tracy was still in the UK, I would have to watch her die a horrible death,” he told the British newspaper.
Tracy was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2019 after a routine mammogram, despite being fit, vegetarian and non-drinking.
The mammogram had detected a malignant tumor in her left breast and within two hours a doctor was talking to her about a mastectomy and the possibility of chemotherapy.
‘It was so confrontational. “Two hours after a standard mammogram I was sitting talking to this doctor about mastectomies with no one to support me,” she said. The press.
Tracy was diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer, a form of cancer that is generally more aggressive than others.
A left-sided mastectomy was performed and 12 grueling weeks of chemotherapy followed.
He said he suffered side effects, including hearing loss and “chemo brain,” but the cancer subsided.
This allowed him to return to work and run marathons.
But in October 2021, Tracy revealed that she was watching TV with Paul when she noticed numbness on the side of her face and in the fingers of her left hand.
“The first thing I thought was, ‘Has the cancer come back?'” he said.
A brain scan revealed no abnormalities and a neurologist suggested it could have been a form of migraine.
Tracy had her suspicions and worried that her symptoms might be related to her previous cancer diagnoses, but her worries went away.
The seizures then began in November 2022, when Tracy revealed, “Suddenly I couldn’t talk.” She couldn’t form sentences and her side was numb.”
Numerous visits were made to hospitals and health centers, but to no avail: doctors seemed unable to provide an explanation for Tracy’s worsening symptoms.
It wasn’t until February 2023, when a seizure occurred in front of a neurophysiotherapist, that Tracy’s oncologist was finally notified.
An MRI of his back detected two tumors and a subsequent PET scan showed more tumors that had spread to his lungs, chest wall, lymph nodes and spine.
Tracy said at this stage he was not eligible for an assisted death as doctors believed he had more than six months to live.
He said he even considered suicide by refusing to eat or drink.
His prognosis changed in March this year when doctors discovered dozens of tumors in his brain and warned he probably only had three months to live.
This, she said, was a “huge shock” and led her to take morphine.
Following her diagnosis, Tracy requested an assisted death through New Zealand’s simple process which includes an assessment by two doctors.
A medical team administered medication to her while she was relaxing on a beach, until she lost consciousness a few minutes later while listening to the waves surrounded by family.
Euthanasia, or medically assisted dying, is currently illegal in both the United Kingdom and the rest of the British Isles, and any doctor or person who performs euthanasia can currently face prosecution for manslaughter or murder.
Even helping a terminally ill person take their own life, called assisted suicide, is a crime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
While there is no specific law on assisted suicide in Scotland, helping someone to end their own life could give rise to a manslaughter prosecution in circumstances where a court determines that a person’s death was not entirely voluntary.