End of life: Alain Cocq wants to let himself die again

Alain Cocq, a “dignified” end-of-life activist suffering from an incurable disease, announced on Saturday his intention to let himself die, about a month after a first abortive attempt.

This time he says he wants to go "to the end".

"As of Monday, October 12 at midnight, I will stop all hydration, diet and treatment except painkillers," Alain Cocq told AFP.

"I will go all the way," he added, referring to his first failed attempt on September 5.

A "quiproquo" a month ago

That day, Alain Cocq had ceased all hydration, diet and treatment but several days of suffering that he said "unbearable" had led to his hospitalization and the resumption of his treatment.

"At that moment, the Samu intervened and offered to relieve my pain, which I accepted: there was a misunderstanding because they understood that it was necessary to resume hydration and diet. ", explained Alain Cocq in an intervention, from his medical bed by videoconference, at the General Assembly of the Association for the Right to Die in Dignity (ADMD), which was held Saturday in Dijon.

"This time, it is clear: I had the help of a lawyer and the Samu will be served by mail", Alain Cocq told AFP, indicating that he had been advised by the lawyer François Lambert, the nephew of Vincent Lambert, a nurse in a vegetative state who died in July 2019 after a deep sedation wanted by his wife and François, but to which his parents were opposed.

No retransmission on Facebook

Thus, in a letter listing his last wishes and written with the help of François Lambert, Alain Cocq explains wanting to "learn the lessons of (s) on first attempt".

"This time I put in writing that my will is free and enlightened ... I say therefore clearly and solemnly: if I ask for help at such and such a time from the medical world, it will in no way mean that I want to live. This will mean that I can no longer stand up to the suffering and that I want to benefit from deep and continuous sedation ", continues Alain Cocq.

Alain Cocq specified that this time he was giving up on broadcasting his agony live on his Facebook page or another site.

Facebook had blocked on September 5 the video broadcast of the agony of the militant of the end of life worthy after only a few hours of live.

Alain Cocq, 57, believes that he no longer has a "dignified" life because of a very painful illness that keeps him in bed.

He had unsuccessfully asked the President of the Republic in August to authorize, on a compassionate basis, the medical profession to prescribe pentobarbital, a powerful barbiturate which would have enabled him to "leave in peace".

The president refused, saying "cannot ask anyone to go beyond our current legal framework."