A British mother who made headlines for her courageous and candid decision to take control of her death has now spoken one final time, through a poignant Instagram post shared after her passing.
Emma, 42, from Barnstaple, North Devon, was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) two years ago. In May, she revealed her choice to undergo VSED (Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking), a legal but physically challenging method in the UK to hasten death without medical intervention.
Now, just weeks later, her Instagram account has published a posthumous message she wrote herself, a heartfelt farewell to the world, accompanied by a peaceful photo of her lying in a hospice bed and gazing out toward the trees.
“If you are reading this then I've finished my final spin round the sun,” she wrote. “I've lived a very good life, surrounded by love, music and laughter and I want this to continue in my memory. Rather than shed a tear (or whilst you do), please plant a tree or call a friend, do a random act of kindness or take time to watch a sunset."
She continued: “For moments of doubt please ask ‘what would Emma do?’ and run with that probably inappropriate answer. Hug everyone a little tighter and love openly. Please surround those who were closest to me with love, time and patience.
“And to quote Frank Turner, Remember you get to dance another day but now you have to dance for one more of us. Love you, bye,” she concluded.
Emma’s words have struck a deep chord online, echoing her legacy of compassion and strength. Throughout her illness, Emma remained remarkably open about her experience. Speaking to The Mirror in May, she explained her choice: “I now feel I am at the stage where my quality of life is very affected, I can no longer use any of my limbs."
She said: "My talking is severely affected, and I struggle to eat, and it's getting harder to breathe. I am only really comfortable in bed, and social visits are exhausting.
“I have carers multiple times a day, can't be left alone overnight and can no longer do any basic tasks. I can't scratch an itch, push up my glasses, or move a bed sheet if I am too hot or cold. I feel like I am losing the essence of me. I am still so loved, but I can't be myself, and I see that grief on everyone's faces," she added.
Although VSED is not an easy path, Emma said her motivation came from love, especially for her children, aged 15 and 14.
“VSED is not an easy death, but with the current law in England, this is the only way I can have control over my death. I want to protect my children from seeing me choke and struggle to breathe. I don't want to die, but I am going to and have come to terms with my impending death, and I know I want to die surrounded by loved ones, music and laughter, not in an emergency way after further decline," she said.
Her final wish was to die peacefully, surrounded by the people and moments she cherished most. “My end-of-life wish is to be at the hospice surrounded by my friends and family. I want to have music playing, to hear people laugh, and watch them playing card games over me.”
Emma, a former charity worker who helped countless victims of domestic abuse and homelessness, also became a passionate advocate for the Assisted Dying Bill. She hoped her story would encourage lawmakers to recognize the dignity and peace it could offer others in similar situations.
“This bill will have offered me protection for those I love who have already spent two years living with anticipatory grief and watching me suffer.
Imagine seeing your children crying and upset and not be able to hug them or curl up in bed and wipe their tears away. This is hands down the thing I hate the most about motor neurone disease. It's taken my children's mum from them little by little…
“I urge MPs to realise that this bill will not end my life, motor neurone disease is doing that, but they can help me and others with less than six months to live to die with peace.”
Emma’s final message, filled with humor, grace, and warmth, is already resonating with many, a powerful reminder of how she lived, and how she wished to be remembered.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.