Mike Tindall Advocates for Assisted Dying After Father's Battle with Parkinson's

Former England rugby star Mike Tindall has spoken about the difficult final weeks of his father's life, who died at the age of 80 after a 25-year struggle with Parkinson's disease. Tindall described his father's passing as a "relief," stating that he is now "free of his body," and revealed that the experience has led him to support the concept of assisted dying.

In an interview on the podcast The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, Tindall, 47, shared that the past three months had been particularly challenging. He noted that his father had been largely unresponsive for the last three weeks of his life. Parkinson's had caused a significant curvature in his father's spine, making it impossible for him to straighten up. Tindall recalled a previous surgery for a bowel blockage eight years prior, during which his father nearly died.

"Then he chose to sign a non-resuscitation thing. So when he went in again in June with another bowel blockage, it was dire from the start," Tindall explained. He recounted receiving three calls indicating his father might not survive, yet he continued to rally.

At one point, his father lost the ability to speak or move his arms, which Tindall described as particularly distressing. "He clearly had something to say and he couldn't," he said. "He'd lost all movement by then. So it's a relief that he's free from his body now, I think."

Tindall also recounted a poignant conversation with his father about two weeks before his death. His father expressed a feeling that he would die the next day, to which Tindall responded with reassurance. Despite this, his father lived for another two weeks. Tindall reflected on the selfish impulse to wish for more time, but acknowledged his father had lived a full life.

Witnessing his father's suffering has solidified Tindall's view that assisted dying should be available to the terminally ill. He criticized Members of Parliament who recently voted against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which would have enabled eligible terminally ill adults in England and Wales to seek assistance in ending their lives if expected to die within six months.

"Anyone who voted against the euthanasia thing hasn't gone through seeing your dad, who you admire so much, go through what he had to go through. It's just not fair," Tindall stated. He also mentioned a close friend whose father has motor neurone disease and is planning an assisted death.

Following his father's death, Tindall noted that happier memories are now surfacing, allowing him to recall the times his father was more mobile. "It's quite nice to remember the better times when he was far more mobile. They're the ones that you remember."