Rebecca Wilcox has spoken about the agonising difficulty of determining when her mother, Dame Esther Rantzen, should end her life through assisted suicide at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland.
The 86-year-old broadcaster and Childline founder received a terminal lung cancer diagnosis in 2023 and has been a vocal advocate for legalising assisted dying in Britain.
Speaking on Channel 5's Vanessa, Ms Wilcox revealed the family's painful deliberations over timing, explaining that her mother pores over dates whilst considering family milestones.
"She's looking at a calendar, going 'My grandson's birthday is here, the twins' birthday is here, these ones are starting a new school here,'" she said.
Ms Wilcox revealed the family's painful deliberation over dates
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She added that Ms Rantzen felt she "can't possibly" select January, as it would be "horrible" for her daughters.
The constraints imposed by Dignitas add further complexity to an already impossible situation.
Ms Wilcox explained that patients must be capable of travelling without assistance and remain mentally competent to make the decision.
"You have to be healthy to travel – you have to get there under your own steam, you can't have somebody push a wheelchair, they will be in trouble," she said.
Ms Rantzen's daugthter has been campaigning on her behalf
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"She has to be of sound mind and so she goes months before she would die here."
These requirements mean Ms Rantzen faces the prospect of ending her life considerably earlier than would otherwise be necessary.
"So it's an impossible answer. I don't know how she does it. I don't know how decides when to go. I don't want her to go," Ms Wilcox admitted.
Ms Rantzen's daughter acknowledged that she respects her mother's wish to travel to Dignitas, despite the emotional toll on the family.
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She described the process starkly: Ms Rantzen would take a taxi, remain alive for 48 hours, then die in Switzerland – a scenario Ms Wilcox said was not "empathetic and compassionate" compared to passing away at home surrounded by loved ones.
"This is the one selfish act she will ever do in her life," Ms Wilcox said, explaining that her mother's primary concern is sparing her children from witnessing a painful death.
Ms Wilcox drew on her own experience of losing her father, Desmond Wilcox, noting that despite cherished memories, watching him suffer left lasting scars.
"And then a corpse, that replaced everything for me, for years," she recalled.
Ms Wilcox has lead walks in honour of her mother
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The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill secured approval in the House of Commons on 20 June last year but has since faced obstruction in the Lords.
A small group of peers tabled more than 1,200 amendments, including one that would have required pregnancy tests for both men and women.
Following nearly 17 months of parliamentary debate, the legislation expired last month without becoming law.
Ms Rantzen has previously stated she will not survive long enough to benefit from any change in British law, having revealed earlier this year that her treatment had stopped working.
Ms Wilcox said she joked about being "this close to calling some sort of air-flight emergency" and apologised to anyone whose holiday might coincide with her mother's planned journey.