Dame Esther Rantzen, the founder of Childline, expressed a commitment to championing assisted dying from beyond death in a poignant note penned before her passing. Her family shared this message following her private funeral last week.

Rantzen died last month at her home in the New Forest after a three-year battle with stage four lung cancer. This illness spurred her advocacy for the legalization of assisted dying.

In her final message, the 86-year-old broadcaster stated she felt "deprived of any choice over my own death" and implored campaigners to "battle on." She pledged to "do everything I can from here to help you."

Her daughter, Rebecca Wilcox, described the funeral as "incredibly beautiful" and noted the family's comfort from the widespread sympathy messages received since Rantzen's death.

Rantzen's note, shared by her family, served as a "goodbye and thank you" to those involved in the assisted dying campaign. She reflected on how the law had prevented her from choosing the manner of her death, even if she hadn't chosen to use that option.

"Not because I would have used that choice," she wrote, "but because the last days and weeks would have been infused with the hope and confidence of a swift, pain–free death and my family would not have had to witness any suffering or lack of dignity and privacy at the end."

She further elaborated on the emotional toll witnessing suffering can take on loved ones. Despite the support of her local hospice, Rantzen felt "deprived of any choice over my own death by the current messy criminal law."

Although the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, introduced in Parliament in 2024, did not pass in time for her, Rantzen expressed regret that she could not do more to expedite its passage for future generations.

Rantzen had become too physically frail to travel to an assisted dying clinic in Switzerland, and she thanked the Dignitas team for their efforts, which were ultimately thwarted by her illness and the law.

Addressing opponents of assisted dying reform, she stated, "To those who will oppose it and blocked the new Bill, rest assured I will not come back to haunt you, I have better things to do and anyway I believe you too have the right to choose, but not the right to impose your choice on the most vulnerable people such as dying frail little old ladies like me."

She concluded by addressing supporters of the reform: "To those who will battle on and continue to support the reform and especially patients and their loved ones who urgently need it, I will do everything I can from here to help you. After all, nobody wants to shorten life, just to shorten death."

Dame Esther's family has requested that donations in lieu of flowers be made to Oakhaven Hospice, Childline, The Silver Line, and Cats Protection in her memory. A larger memorial service is expected to be announced at a later date.