WHEN Antonya Cooper admitted she had ended the life of her terminally ill son Hamish when he was just seven years old, she knew she would cause outrage.
Some of the response has actually been horrific, with cruel people calling her a murderer and a horrible bitch, and several have said she should immediately be arrested and sent to prison.
I don’t. I can feel nothing but absolute sympathy for Antonya because she has suffered enough.
She told BBC Radio Oxford this week that 43 years ago her little boy had stage four cancer and asked her to ease his “most horrendous suffering”, so she gave him “a large dose of morphine that did quietly end his life”.
I cannot imagine the torture she went through doing this heartbreaking, selfless act for the little boy she adored and who she wanted to be with for ever.
When he was first diagnosed with the rare cancer neuroblastoma, little Hamish was the same age as my five-year-old son, and I would like to think that if I was in that same horrific position, I would somehow find that stomach- churning strength to do exactly the same thing if there was absolutely no hope left.
Hamish underwent 16 months of “beastly” cancer treatment that left him in constant agony.
On the last night of his life, Antonya asked him: “Would you like me to remove the pain?” and he said: “Yes please, Mama.”
She says she believes he knew what was going to happen, adding: “I was his mother.
He loved his mother and I totally loved him, and I was not going to let him suffer, and I feel he really knew where he was going.”
She was determined not to let him go through more “horrendous suffering and intense pain”, saying: “It was the right thing to do . . . I was not going to allow him to go through that.”
Of course it was the right thing to do.
A caring, loving, devoted mother’s job is to protect her child, not watch them suffer. She eased his agony. Finally.
And since then Antonya has devoted her life to other children with the same cancer, after launching the charity Neuroblastoma UK.
Now, in what must be the cruellest twist of fate, the 77-year-old has terminal cancer herself — which is probably why she has decided that life is too short for her to keep her harrowing past decision secret.
She knows it could mean that she has potentially admitted to manslaughter or murder, and said of the police: “They would have to be quick, because I’m dying too.”
We all know that assisted suicide — the act of intentionally helping someone to end their life — and euthanasia, the deliberate ending of a person’s life, are both illegal in the UK, and Thames Valley Police are “making inquiries” into Antonya’s case.
And yes, in the eyes of the law, she has committed a crime.
But I hope they see sense, have some compassion and realise there are more pressing offences to deal with than this crime of total love.
The pain of losing her little boy in the way Antonya did is a life sentence in itself.
And every person who calls her a horrible bitch should take a look at their own child — or that of a loved one — and ask what they would really, really do if that person was slowly and painfully dying in front of them and needed help.
Antonya says she is not a religious person, but adds there is “a tiny voice inside me that believes it would be wonderful if I could cuddle Hamish again”.
I truly hope that tiny voice is right.
I bet he runs into her arms, because that little boy up in heaven will be truly proud to call this amazingly brave woman his Mama.
IMAGINE living in a lovely home in Downing Street, feeling safe and settled but then having to cope with the sudden trauma of a rival moving in.
No, not Rishi. He knew it was coming.
But the Starmer family includes cat JoJo, which could put No 10’s “Chief Mouser” Larry’s nose right out of joint.
Luckily Larry is no pathetic pussy. He was a stray for years, took on and chased away a huge fox in 2022 and is no stranger to a cat fight.
Experts have pitched in on how the two moggies might get along.
There may be big changes taking place in the country but I do hope
Sir Keir realises that, at the age of 17, Larry truly is a top cat and should be treated with respect.
AFTER Andy Murray played at Wimbledon for the last time in a men’s match before his retirement, he gave an emotional speech that had him – and nearly all his fans – in tears.
He said: “It is hard because I want to keep playing, but I can’t.
“I want to play for ever. I love the sport.”
The two-time SE19 singles champ is one of the best role models this country has ever had.
He has shown what hard graft and determination can get you if you really work and dedicate yourself to something.
And also, unlike some elite sportsmen, he has shown that, even when you get to the top, you don’t need to turn into a bad boy who cheats on his wife, gets drunk and disorderly in public or flaunts his cash in cheesy designer outfits.
Retiring at 37 must be crushing but Andy says he may “potentially” go into coaching.
I hope he does, because losing Murray completely from tennis would be a huge loss.
A STUDY out this week shows that adopting a healthy diet in your 40s can reduce the risk of developing dementia.
Over 75 years, scientists tracked 3,059 people born in 1946, analysing their diets five times between the ages of four and 63.
They found that what they ate from the age of 43 had a significant impact on any memory decline later.
People who ate healthily from their 40s onwards were up to 84 per cent more likely to be functioning well both physically and mentally at 70 than those who did not.
Marvellous news if you’re still in your 40s – not so great if you are past that and now trying to remember exactly just how many bottles of wine and takeaway curries you had in your 40s.
WHEN David and Victoria Beckham arranged their wedding, she chose the thrones and their purple reception outfits for some fun.
David later said the outfit made him look ridiculous and “like the guys out of Dumb And Dumber when they went to that party”.
But on Thursday, to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary Posh and Becks wore them again and put the photos on Instagram.
Victoria wrote: “Yep, still got it! Can’t believe it’s been 25 years and they still fit.”
Don’t be daft, of course you can. During that 25 years you’ve shown immense restraint with your diet and pretty much lived off grilled fish and steamed veg.
I got married four months before them (first time round) and would imagine that of the three million people who liked Posh’s post, I’m not the only one who wished they could even dream of getting back into their wedding day number for a repeat photoshoot.
Congratulations to them both.
WARREN FURMAN, of Gladiator fame, has just become a vicar.
The dad of two was ordained alongside his wife Dionne at St Paul’s Cathedral in London.
Warren said: “I’ve gone from TV’s Gladiator to God’s gladiator.”
He has also said he would love to help his former fiancée Katie Price find her faith, saying that God was “telling” him to save her “so she crosses from the path that leads to death and destruction to the path that leads to life”.
Meanwhile, Katie has said “religion is a load of bulls**t”.
Warren, who starred as Ace, will take up a church role in West London.
If he gets Katie in his congregation we know he really can work miracles.
