Euthanasia campaigner dies of natural causes

Stuff co.nz 5 June 2015
Prime Minister John Key is among those who have paid tribute to Lecretia Seales, the 42-year-old Wellington lawyer with terminal brain cancer who died early on Friday from natural causes.

Key expressed his deepest sympathies to the family, friends and supporters of Seales.

“Cancer is a terrible disease for those who suffer it and it’s particularly hard on those who witness their loved ones eventually succumb to it,” Key said.

“My heart goes out to Lecretia’s family and friends.”

Seale’s husband, Matt Vickers, planned to read a prepared statement and answer questions at a press conference at Wellington law firm Russell McVeagh at 3.30pm on Friday.

Seales’ death came just hours after a judge issued a ruling in her landmark right-to-die case. Justice David Collins has embargoed his judgment until 3pm on Friday.

Seales was a beautiful, courageous, compassionate, unsentimental person who would want everyone to “press on”, her friend and colleague Cate Brett said.

Seales came to court twice during the three-day hearing that began on May 25. Since then she had rapidly declined, becoming bedridden due to paralysis and spending periods in deep sleep.

She did not have the long, painful death she feared.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/69123148/euthanasia-campaigner-lecretia-seales-dies-of-natural-causes