Brighton MS Sufferer Ends His Own Life at Dignitas

Trust The Argus to give its seal of approval to the Culture of Death. Brighton & Hove's daily local newspaper, fresh from persecuting a local Catholic priest has covered 'in deepest sympathy', that is, in deepest sympathy with assisted suicide, the news of a Brighton man's ending of his personal struggle with MS at the offshore death chamber in Switzerland known as Dignitas.

There is something quite disturbing about this article. Someone is missing from it.

The article reports...

'A man who featured in a documentary about his battle against multiple sclerosis has died at a euthanasia clinic in Switzerland. Renowned graphic artist Johnny Hicklenton, best known for his work on comic books Judge Dredd and 2000AD, visited the Dignitas assisted suicide clinic after a ten year fight against the disease.

Friend Adam Lavis, who co-directed the TV documentary, travelled with 42-year-old Mr Hicklenton to the clinic. He described the Brighton artist as a “warrior.” He said: “Over the years he became a very good friend. He was someone I worked with but he became someone much more than that to me. He was like a brother. Despite the love of his family and friends, the MS became like torture. It was like a war for him, and he fought for as long as he could. The bravery for him to get up and go through that door was staggering. The decision to go to Dignitas really focused him. He decided a while ago that he didn't want to go down the road where it would permanently disable him.” He added that Mr Hicklenton had passed away at the clinic on Friday March 19.

Mr Lavis said: “He said that if he hadn't gone last week he wouldn't have been able to travel. It enabled him to live a lot longer. He said to me that he would've given up last year if he didn't have Dignitas in his mind. He beat MS. It takes away the control of your life but this gave him control.”

Mr Hicklenton's fight against MS, which he was diagnosed with in 2000, was the subject of the award-winning documentary ‘Here's Johnny’, produced by Brighton production company Animal Monday. Mr Hicklenton’s body was cremated in Switzerland. His ashes are to be flown back to the UK shortly for a memorial service.

A spokeswoman for the MS Trust said: "The fact that John Hicklenton was prepared to use his fame to raise awareness of a condition so often overlooked by the media, and to wage his personal war on MS so publicly is something that is greatly appreciated by people in the MS community.

"Anyone wanting more information on MS should contact the MS Trust on 01462 476700 or visit www.mstrust.org.uk.” 

Aside from offering our condolences to the family of this well-loved man, what can we say to them? They must be devastated. Oh, hang on, we don't know how they feel about this tragedy because those pioneers in journalistic excellence at The Argus have either not been able to contact them or decided their views were unnecessary, just printed the views of his "friend" in the media .

The other deeply disturbing aspect of this story is that the Multiple Schlorosis Trust have tacitly given approval of Mr Hicklenton's actions in the press when it should, in fact, be stressing that just because you suffer from MS, you don't have to kill yourself and that there is help and support out there if you are suffering with this chronic disease. God help this country and may the soul of Mr Hicklenton and the souls of all the departed rest in peace.