Antonya Cooper dead: Mum who admitted ending life of terminally ill son to stop his suffering dies after cancer battle
A MUM who admitted ending the life of her terminally ill son has died – days after police revealed they were probing his death.
Hamish Cooper spent two years in agony after being diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma – a rare childhood cancer – aged just five.
His mum Antonya, 77, admitted she chose to “quietly end his life” at home in Oxfordshire in 1981 by giving him a large dose of morphine.
Thames Valley Police said on Wednesday it was investigating Antonya, who is a former chair of Neuroblastoma UK and is also battling cancer herself.
Her family today revealed she had died.
In a statement to the BBC, Mrs Cooper’s daughter, Tabitha, said: “She was peaceful, pain free, at home and surrounded by her loving family.
“It was exactly the way she wanted it. She lived life on her terms and she died on her terms.”
Last week the force said it was “aware of reports relating to an apparent case of assisted dying of a seven-year-old boy in 1981”.
They added: “At this early stage, the force is making enquiries into these reports and is not in a position to comment further while these investigations continue.”
Assisted dying – where a person helps another person end their own life – and euthanasia – deliberately ending a person’s life – are illegal in England.
Speaking about the tragedy previously, Antonya said her son had initially been given three months to live after he was diagnosed.
His life was extended following “beastly” cancer treatment but Hamish was left in a lot of pain.
The mum said: “In the middle of the night, we were by his bedside.
“He was expressing that he had pain and I said, ‘Would you like me to take the pain away?’
“He said, ‘Yes please, Mama’.”
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