Susan Reilly's mother died two decades ago, but the toll of the "degrading" experience still lingers today.
She witnessed her mother Lesley slowly succumb to breast cancer, powerless to control the manner and timing of her death.
"I know she felt degraded and almost inhuman in a way," Ms Reilly recalls.
"It was confronting and just incredibly difficult and it wasn't what she wanted.
"It left a lifelong impression on me … a terrible scar."
More than 20 years later, the Brisbane mother of three is relieved voluntary assisted dying (VAD) is now legal in Queensland — the fourth state to have a scheme in operation – 15 months after laws passed state parliament.
"It's one of the things we openly talked about … but it was highly illegal," Ms Reilly said of her mother's wishes.
"She wanted to die at home, she wanted to die her way … but there were no paths to go down."
In early 2020, just days before her 46th birthday, Ms Reilly was diagnosed with an aggressive type of breast cancer herself.
After finishing treatment last year, she is now being closely monitored by a surgeon and oncologist every three to six months.
"I'm holding my own at the moment. It's like being in limbo," she said.
She hopes she never has to access VAD but feels comfort knowing it's there as an option for terminally ill people.
"It means a lot because it just opens doors, provides opportunities for those who want it," she says.
"It's not, 'You must now go down this path' … it's just choices for...
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