A MAN is campaigning for assisted dying to be legalised after his dad took his own life following a 15-year battle with cancer.

Gareth Ward, from Rayleigh, is calling for a change to the law after his dad shot himself with a legally owned shotgun in his garden.

Norman Ward, 75, died in June last year following a 15-year fight with cancer which eventually spread around his body and became terminal.

Gareth, 45, is now sharing his story to support the campaign for a change in the law to give terminally ill people who are expected to die within six months the option of an assisted death.

He said: “We were really close, he was like my best friend as well as father and son, so it was hard to see him go through that.

“He had a legally owned shotgun, but he could barely get up the stairs, let alone the loft ladder, we never thought he could have got that shotgun.

“He was in the garden, and he had told 999 what he was going to do, before then calling me to say the same, he just said: ‘Look I can’t do this anymore, I have had enough, I can’t take the pain, I am going to shot myself’.

“I couldn’t believe it.

“My dad did not effectively kill himself, he did not shorten his life, my dad shortened his death, he was already dying, all he could do is take more and more morphine to kill the pain, that wasn’t living to him.”

Following Norman’s diagnosis, his cancer was kept under control by hormone therapy for 10 years.

Norman, who lived in Gravesend, then had continuous treatment through a drug trial and chemotherapy, but the cancer continued to spread to his spleen, pancreas and bones.

Gareth is supporting the Dignity In Dying campaign.

He said: “I’m still shocked, still upset and heartbroken my dad isn’t with us but I felt I need to do something positive with my grief, energy and emotion.

“I want to make sure people support the campaign, and anyone in my dad’s situation just waiting to die.

“I’m hoping to change the law and allow assisted dying in the UK to stop people like my dad and us as a family suffering.

“I know it is too late to help me and my father, but I want to stop others having to go through the same as my family.”

Anyone affected by this article can contact the Samaritans free any time from any phone on 116 123. This number won’t show up on your phone bill. Or visit www.samaritans.org