Comments on: Love Story

By: zeno

zeno — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:49:48 +0000

In this case, the adult children accompanied their parents to Switzerland. (This is now subject to police investigation, as I imagine it should be.)

By: Tom Myron

Tom Myron — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 05:53:33 +0000

A very stupid & self-centered act. How you do this to your kids, no matter their ages, is beyond me.

And, like our colleague Polly, I’m coming from experience here too.

By: Jerry Bowles

Jerry Bowles — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:48:25 +0000

Not to worry, David. I understood what you meant.

By: David Salvage

David Salvage — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:29:03 +0000

I´m so stupid.

I was trying to think up an encouraging comment for Jerry in these trying times. Totally, totally missed the mark. Ugh. Very sorry for being so careless.

Jerry, I look forward to many more lattes. Cheers.

By: lawrencedillon

lawrencedillon — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 01:17:07 +0000

A very beautiful and heartbreaking story.

By: Paula

Paula — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:25:23 +0000

Let’s just hope the British Government– who has taken a fairly lax stance on the relatives of citizens who accompany family members to Switzerland for assisted suicide–continue to maintain the same policy here – despite the high profile nature of this case. Had it been the U.S….

By: Polly Moller

Polly Moller — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:43:11 +0000

I cannot imagine what Sir Edward and Lady Downes were going through. It must have been tremendously difficult to drive them to take this action.

However, I must point out, as a survivor of suicide (my partner took his own life a year and a half ago), that the damage done to their loved ones left behind is devastating, and cannot be ignored.

By: zeno

zeno — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:21:37 +0000

Thanks Jerry.

I can’t imagine, no matter how loving the two adult children, the complex feelings that Mr Downes — a musician — and Lady Downes experienced, with the older Sir Edward growing “almost blind and increasingly deaf” and having a spouse of 54 years suffering from terminal cancer.

“ yielded, and unlocked her all my heart”

“God doth not need
Either man’s work or his own gifts”