As seen in national newspapers
'A searingly honest tale of love, life and death' – Sarah Wootton, Dignity in Dying
Die Smiling is a rare and intimate account of one man’s journey to Dignitas in Zurich and his ultimate triumph over suffering and disease.
Told with wit and candour, Julie Casson traces her husband Nigel’s extraordinary journey from diagnosis of motor neurone disease to his death.
A successful businessman and father of three, Nigel battles the degenerative disease with boundless courage and gritty good humour, until, faced with the unimaginable torture of a slow, living death – his body a tomb – he takes control. He decides to go to Dignitas to end his life – while he is still able to die smiling.
The family prepares for this enormous logistical and emotional challenge: the gruelling Dignitas process and the 800-mile road trip to Switzerland. They complete it with pragmatism and humour. Denying motor neurone disease its victory and choosing his own cure, Nigel dies happily, in the arms of his wife and children.
As the UK Parliament considers introducing an assisted dying bill, Die Smiling allows supporters of both sides of the debate to go inside a family battling a terminal illness and the difficult journey an individual and close relatives and friends go through at the end of life. It is a frank and loving memoir that explains the reality of MND's cruel symptoms and the experience of going to Dignitas.
Written with the tenderness of With the End in Mind and the joy of Dr Rachel Clarke's Dear Life, this book has stayed in the minds of readers: an intimate portrait of a family, loving life and united in death.
Reader reviews
'It’s written with dazzling honesty and clarity – I salute the courage of his family in writing and sharing it. Take the time to read it no matter what you think. It’s a beautiful story' – MTT
'Julie Casson has written a beautiful memoir. What a remarkable man Nigel was, courageous, fun-loving family man. Julie and her family are unbelievably supportive.' – B2NYC
'Read in 2 days – laughed a lot and cried a lot – truly inspiring. Julie is a fantastic writer and should be encouraged to write a novel. It is one of the best memoirs I have read for a long time and have learnt so much about MND and Dignitas.' – K Matthieson
'I was greatly moved by Julie's book describing the initial diagnosis of her husband's MND through to the sad, yet uplifting conclusion at the Dignitas establishment in Switzerland. Throughout the book, the strength and importance of family is clear to see. Moments of intense sadness are counterbalanced with typical northern humour...often, on the same page.' – David Chard
'I have never before experienced every emotion in one book before. Heartbreaking and heartwarming but also hilarious.' Customer
'What an amazing read, I almost feel like I was on the journey with them. I laughed as much as I cried.' – P.
M Swaine
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Contents
1. Looking Back 3
2. Death’s Calling Card 6
3. Brenda and Methuselah 15
4. Tests, Tests and More Tests 23
5. The End of ‘Normal.’ 32
6. Life with MND Begins 44
7. Breaking the News 53
8. The Wailing Weeks 67
9. Spain 81
10. The Bucket List 85
11. Where Hope Dies 91
12. Not Ready for This 98
13. Our Spanish Love Affair 103
14. Two Steps Ahead 112
15. MND Declares War 122
16. Don’t Forget Me 126
17. Cost More Than our First House 132
18. Starting to Die 137
19. 22 July 2011 147
20. Every Day is a Bonus 157
21. Don’t Laugh at my Cock 164
22. Toileting Matters 179
23. When the Laughter Stops 191
24. It’s All About Control 203
25. Apply to Die 210
26. The Provisional Green Light 226
27. Last Christmas 238
28. The Recce 247
29. Appointment with Death 264
30. Twenty-five Days Left to Live 283
31. The Goodbyes 295
32. The Hotel and the Doctor 303
33. One More Day 314
34. Nigel’s Cure 328
35. Nigel’s Last Goodbye 345
Acknowledgements 356
By:
Julie Casson
Imprint: Haythorp Books
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 153mm,
ISBN: 9781914487262
ISBN 10: 1914487265
Pages: 366
Publication Date: 15 February 2024
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
1. Looking Back 3 2. Death’s Calling Card 6 3. Brenda and Methuselah 15 4. Tests, Tests and More Tests 23 5. The End of ‘Normal.’ 32 6. Life with MND Begins 44 7. Breaking the News 53 8. The Wailing Weeks 67 9. Spain 81 10. The Bucket List 85 11. Where Hope Dies 91 12. Not Ready for This 98 13. Our Spanish Love Affair 103 14. Two Steps Ahead 112 15. MND Declares War 122 16. Don’t Forget Me 126 17. Cost More Than our First House 132 18. Starting to Die 137 19. 22 July 2011 147 20. Every Day is a Bonus 157 21. Don’t Laugh at my Cock 164 22. Toileting Matters 179 23. When the Laughter Stops 191 24. It’s All About Control 203 25. Apply to Die 210 26. The Provisional Green Light 226 27. Last Christmas 238 28. The Recce 247 29. Appointment with Death 264 30. Twenty-five Days Left to Live 283 31. The Goodbyes 295 32. The Hotel and the Doctor 303 33. One More Day 314 34. Nigel’s Cure 328 35. Nigel’s Last Goodbye 345 Acknowledgements 356
Julie Casson is a debut author. She is a mum, grandma and great-grandma and lives in Scarborough, North Yorkshire with her beloved miniature schnauzer Bodger. Julie spent twenty-three years working in Further Education. Starting out as a teacher, her career evolved into management. She holds an MA in management from the University of York. Her career ended unexpectedly in 2007, when her husband, Nigel, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. Julie became Nigel’s primary carer. Nigel’s positivity, humour and pragmatism throughout his illness, and his determination to take control of his death, are the inspiration for this memoir. In 2011, she started a blog, posting light-hearted commentary on everyday existence and specific accounts of Nigel’s experience, which she later developed into this book. She completed a creative writing course at the University of York. Julie is a supporter of the Motor Neurone Disease Association and member of Dignity in Dying. Her greatest wish is that Nigel’s story contributes to changing the law on assisted dying in the UK.
Reviews for Die Smiling: A Memoir. The Sorrows and Joys of a Journey to Dignitas
'Julie Casson lays bare the devastating human impact of the UK’s ban on assisted dying, capturing precisely why true choice at the end of life is a movement whose time has come for this country. By turns uplifting and heart-wrenching, Die Smiling is a searingly honest tale of love, life and death, and a powerful contribution to a historic debate.' - Sarah Wootton, CEO Dignity in Dying
