A British couple are set to become the first people from the UK to die by euthanasia together inside of a controversial double "suicide pod".
Following 46 years of marriage and sharing a family that consists of six grandchildren, 86-year-old Peter Scott and his 80-year-old wife Christine have signed up to die alongside one another inside of the Sarco death capsule.
Their deaths are set to take place in Switzerland, with the decision being made after former nurse Christine was diagnosed with early-stage vascular dementia, per the Daily Mail.
Speaking to the newspaper about their decision, Peter - a former pilot for the RAF - said: "We have had long, happy, healthy, fulfilled lives but here we are in old age and it does not do nice things to you."
Expanding on watching the love of his life decline due to her illness, Peter added: "The idea of watching the slow degradation of Chris' mental abilities in parallel to my own physical decline is horrific to me."
Peter also explained how Christine's career in healthcare has helped sway their decision.
"Obviously I would care for her to the point I could not, but [Christine] has nursed enough people with dementia during her career to be adamant she wants to remain in control of herself and her life," the doting husband added. "Assisted dying gives her that opportunity and I would not want to go on living without her."
Peter and Christine are now in the process of completing the final agreements with Swiss organisation The Last Resort.
The pod in which the couple are due to pass away together is known as the Sarco - short for the term "sarcophagus", which is often associated with the ancient Egyptians.
The 3D-printed pod will use a can of liquid nitrogen in order to provide a death by suicide via inert gas asphyxiation. The process is quick - reportedly taking just 10 minutes - and is supposed to prevent the patients from experiencing any panic or suffocation as their oxygen levels swiftly decrease.
The Last Resort's Dr. Nitschke told The Mail: "The capsule for two people works exactly the same as the single Sarco but there is only one button so they will decide between them who will push it. Then they'll be able to hold each other and one of them will push the button."
In order for the machine to function, the couple will be asked three questions, which Dr. Nitschke says every person must answer correctly.
They are: "Who are you?", "Where are you?", and "Do you know what happens if you press the button?"
Dr. Nitschke added: "If they answer those questions verbally, the software then switches the power on so that the button can then be pressed."
Dr. Nitschke also shared that he wants to bring his Sarco pod to the UK in the future. However, per the NHS website, euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal under English law.
"We understand other people may not share our feelings and we respect their position," Peter said. "What we want is the right to choose. I find it deeply depressing we can't do that here in the UK.
"Yet look at the alternative. The chances of getting prompt NHS treatment for the ailments of old age seem pretty remote so you end up trapped by infirmity and pain.
"I don't want to go into care, to be lying in bed dribbling and incontinent – I don't call that a life."
And sharing her thoughts on the decision, Christine added that although she has a "lovely life", her diagnosis has "crystallized" the couple's thought process.
"Medicine can slow vascular dementia but it can't stop it," she said. "At the point I thought I was losing myself, I'd say: 'This is it, Pete, I don't want to go any further'."
If you have been impacted by any of the topics mentioned in this article, please text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. Speaking to somebody will always help.
