A cancer patient with a terminal diagnosis has ended his own life by lethal injection under new laws.
NSW Central Coast resident Scott Hollingshed has been documenting his battle against lung cancer on Facebook.
One of Mr Hollingshed’s close friends Kellie Lott confirmed the 58-year-old died on Friday afternoon shortly after 2pm ‘peacefully and with his partner Kat holding his hand’.
Despite only being diagnosed in June, the cancer had already progressed to stage four, dashing any hopes of being cured.
Ms Lott said her friend was one of the bravest men she has had the pleasure of knowing.
Mr Hollingshed said he was ‘scared’ to end his life but he has ‘beautiful people with me’ and wanted to show his gratitude to those who had supported him more widely as he takes part in NSW’s voluntary assisted dying program.
In a livestream video shared on Friday morning, Mr Hollingshed said he wanted to make one final point, which was: ‘just to love each other and be there for each other’.
Mr Hollingshed said in a previous video posted to Facebook on Tuesday: ‘I am going to do one (a livestream video) from the hospital just to say thank you to everyone and good bye.’
‘If you have come through this journey with me you need to see the ending.
‘I’ve asked to do the screen with the flatline and all the rest.’
Mr Hollingshed revealed that his partner would say a few words after he was gone.
‘I thank you all so much for everything through my life,’ an emotional Mr Hollingshed said.
‘The compassion and support you have shown through this journey, you have all been incredible.’
Mr Hollingshed had just bought a yacht with his partner and was enjoying life on the water when he began suffering chest pains.
‘I’ve had heart attacks before but I knew it wasn’t my heart,’ he told 7News.
Watching his father die in a hospice influenced his decision to seek assisted dying.
‘Seeing him wither away … I don’t want to see myself like that and I don’t want other people to see me like that, especially people who care about me,’ Mr Hollingshed said.
‘I’ve been given the control to say, ‘Alright, it’s time’.’
After coughing up blood and being unable to sleep on his side without spluttering, Mr Hollingshed was delivered the devastating news that he had three to six months to live.
His condition has since deteriorated even quicker.
‘It got to the point where I couldn’t even put my socks on and my missus used to get down on her hands and knees and put my socks on,’ Mr Hollingshed said.
‘I know people do things for people they love but that broke my heart seeing her do that.’
On Wednesday he wrote in a Facebook post that he ‘would be lucky to go another week before I can’t do the normal things, like going to the toilet, showering, cooking (I already can’t get that done)’.
‘I’m coughing up blood in large lots all day and all night,’ the post read.
In another recent video, Mr Hollingshed said it had been ‘a beautiful journey but a very fast one compared to what I thought it would be’.
Explaining that he could only sleep propped on the lounge and only in two-hour stretches while the painkillers were working, he said was considering ‘f**king off to hospital’.
‘All they are going to do there is put me on the oxygen and pump me full of a painkillers,’ Mr Hollingshed said.
‘I have my hydromorphone pain here and a bottle of bourbon, I will be alright,’ he said.
‘Everyone is saying I have been an inspiration and thank you to those people for those comments.
‘We only get one go at this s*** make the most of it, eh.’
Friend Kellie Lott has organised an online fundraiser to help Mr Hollingshed and his partner with end-of-life expenses.
‘We have all been watching this man do amazing lives on fb…. for me and I bet all of us an inspiration every time we see him talk,’ the page reads.
‘He is trying his hardest to pass with dignity and I’m sure we all agree that if he had less to worry about for him and his partner it will make his last days much more peaceful.’
‘Please try to donate anything as every dollar helps especially at this time.’
The page had raised nearly $1,000 of its $5,000 goal.
NSW became the last n state to allow medically assisted dying late last year.
Under the laws voluntary assisted dying is only available for NSW residents older than 18 who have an advanced illness or disease that will cause death in at least 12 months and is causing suffering that cannot be relieved.
Mr Hollingshed said sharing his story had helped others going through similar circumstances as he urged Aussies to live life to the fullest.