A best-selling author announced her own death to her fans after battling dementia for years, leaving behind a heartfelt message.
Wendy Mitchell, an acclaimed author who bravely chronicled her journey with early-onset dementia and Alzheimer's, passed away at the age of 68.
Mitchell, a former NHS team leader, rose to prominence as an author and advocate for Alzheimer's awareness. Her bestselling memoirs, including 'Somebody I Used To Know' and 'What I Wish I Knew About Dementia', gained widespread acclaim for their candid portrayal of life with the disease, per the Sun.
As a volunteer for Alzheimer's UK and a staunch supporter of assisted dying rights, Mitchell fearlessly advocated for greater compassion and choice in end-of-life care.
Though her own plans to pursue assisted dying abroad were thwarted by injury earlier this year, Mitchell remained unmoved in her belief that individuals should have the autonomy to decide how they live and die.
Mitchell wrote in her blog: "Sadly assisted dying isn’t an option in this country. With something that will affect 100% of the population, regardless of wealth, intelligence or ethnicity, it’s amazing how such little value is placed on the act of dying.
"I've said for a long time that I don’t want to be an inpatient in a hospital, or a resident in a Care Home. It’s the wrong place for me; the loss of routine, familiar surroundings and people."
After passing away, Mitchell announced her own death on her blog after battling early-onset dementia and Alzheimer's since 2014, after her daughters shared a link to a post she'd pre-written for when the time came.
"If you’re reading this, it means this has probably been posted by my daughters as I’ve sadly died," Mitchell penned. "Sorry to break the news to you this way, but if I hadn’t, my inbox would eventually have been full of emails asking if I’m OK, which would have been hard for my daughters to answer.
"In the end I died simply by deciding not to eat or drink any more. The last cuppa tea … my final hug in a mug, the hardest thing to let go of, much harder than the food I never craved … This wasn’t decided on a whim of self pity as you’ll discover by reading on."
The post continued: "Dementia is a cruel disease that plays tricks on your very existence. I’ve always been a glass half full person, trying to turn the negatives of life around and creating positives, because that’s how I cope. Well I suppose dementia was the ultimate challenge.
"Yes, dementia is a bummer, but oh what a life I’ve had playing games with this adversary of mine to try and stay one step ahead. I’ve been resilient throughout my life, even from a young child, so resilience is in-built in me to cope with whatever life throws my way.
"Who would have thought, when diagnosed all those years ago, that my life would turn out quite as it did? I’ve always liked to have a plan, something that makes me feel in control of dementia."
Mitchell concluded her post by thanking those who had supported her over the years and shared one last statement that showcased her resilience.
"So, enjoy this knowing that dementia didn’t play the winning card – I did."
