Esther Richards fought for assisted dying legalisation in New Zealand from 2013 when she was diagnosed with brain cancer. On 22nd April 2023 she achieved her final wish; an assisted death with her beloved son Alex and her closest friends beside her.

It was her life, rather than her death, that made Esther so remarkable. Her absolute commitment to law change meant that, despite increased suffering, she continued to organise meetings across the country and wrote daily to multiple news outlets so that the public had full information before voting in the critical New Zealand referendum on assisted dying. She was published often. Esther also ran a Facebook site, the Medically Assisted Dying Information Group where she ensured that New Zealanders were aware of international events as well as sharing her own personal journey with terminal illness. Even this was not enough for Esther. During the last increasingly difficult months of her life, she permitted a documentary film crew to follow her so that the resulting current affairs programme would help others feel comfortable to follow her lead. She was determined that people should know that avoiding a painful and drawn-out death was a valid option. On TV she said, “I don’t want to die as someone other than me”. She remained Esther to her last breath.

So, who was Esther?

She was loud, she was funny, a loving mother and a deeply committed Christian. She changed hearts and minds through her public championship of assisted dying rights.