Australia quadriplegic dies of chest infection

[cougarnurse]

What more can I say? Quadriplegic Christian Rossiter dies of chest infection | The Australian

Christian Rossiter, 49, died overnight of a chest infection, five weeks after a West Australian court confirmed his right to refuse food, water and other medical treatment.

In August, WA chief justice Wayne Martin ruled that Mr Rossiter's carers had a legal obligation to comply with his request to stop feeding him.

In making the ruling, Justice Martin said Mr Rossiter's case was not about euthanasia, but about patients' right to choose the medical treatment they receive.

But the case was seized upon by euthanasia advocates, with Exit International founder Philip Nitschke declaring the case meant that euthanasia was "one step closer to becoming legal" in Australia.

Mr Rossiter's lawyer John Hammond told the Seven Network this morning that Mr Rossister had been in considerable pain and that death had come as a relief to the quadriplegic.

"I think Christian will be remembered as someone who was very brave and took up a fight which will give a lot of people comfort," Mr Hammond said.

Mr Rossiter had been a keen cyclist and rock climber before he was hit by a car and sustained a series of serious injuries. He developed painful spastic quadriplegia as a result of the injuries.

Mr Rossister had asked the Brightwater Care Group at least 40 times to stop feeding and hydrating him through a tube to his stomach before the matter went to court.

The Brightwater Care Group had asked the WA Supreme Court to rule on whether carers would be breaking the law if they were to comply with Mr Rossiter's requests to stop feeding him.

Other links to story: Nursing home rejects hearing for quadraplegic

Right to die: no challenge to court ruling