World3 min(s) read
Published 15:04 09 Apr 2026 GMT
Woman has decided to end her own life aged 26 - This is what she wants you to know
When she was told she will die within the next 12 months Annaliese Holland was “really happy” - and she's explained why she made the difficult choice to end her life.
The 26-year-old from Adelaide has suffered from chronic illnesses since childhood and at 18 she was diagnosed with a rare condition called Autoimmune Autonomic Ganglionopathy (AAG).
The condition causes the immune system to attack the autonomic nervous system, although it is not always terminal, doctors told her the damage to her body was severe.
As she has known she will never reach old age, Annaliese has decided to end her own life through the voluntary assisted dying program (VAD).
Annie feels empowered by end-of-life care
The program is currently available in every state and territory in Australia except the Northern Territory.
VAD is only accessible to people living with a condition that is likely to cause death within six to 12 months, as determined by two specially trained doctors.
So now that Annaliese has been told she has less than a year to live she has decided when she wants to die, allowing her to leave this life with dignity and her loved ones surrounding her.
Annaliese, known as Annie to her friends and family, will end her life in a few months but is very positive about her end-of-life care.
She told Hack podcast that deciding when to die “was a really happy thing,
"When you've been sick for such a long time it becomes something that's not so scary.
"It sounds strange but it's incredibly empowering," she added.
Annie was against voluntary assisted dying until she became sick and watched a friend who also had AAG suffer and end her life with the program.
She lives in constant agony, spends most of her days in bed, vomits constantly and receives over a dozen injections a day for pain relief.
Last year, after contracting sepsis following a major surgery and needing to be resuscitated, Annie decided she’d had enough.
"It was the first time I was more terrified of being around in five years' time, than I was to die,
“I realised quality is so much more important than quantity,” she said.
Annie has milestones she's determined to complete
Annie has written a “f*** it list”, naming the things she wants to do before she dies.
It includes seeing herself in a wedding dress, witnessing a birth, and holding a newborn baby.
"I'm OK with dying, but the bit that gets me is the fact that I've always wanted to be a mum,” she told the podcast.
Also on the list is a “celebration of life” instead of a funeral, which she has already made the playlist for.
On the day she will be surrounded by family and friends while her “beautiful” doctor Chloe Furst administers the life-ending medication.
Although Annie has decided the day she will die within the coming months, she has chosen not to reveal it publicly.
Annie hopes that by telling her story she will encourage young people to talk about death and end-of-life plans while living life to the full.