The 73-year-old Dr. Ros Worthington OAM has passed away.
She was the brains behind the cancer charity Breast Cancer Care WA.
She made the decision to end her life using voluntarily assisted dying after receiving the devastating news of incurable lung cancer earlier this year.
Following her July cancer diagnoses of lung and breast, Worthington documented her final days in a documentary.
Worthington was an advocate for the reform in legislation that legalized VAD in July 2021 in Western Australia.
“I do want to leave the impact that voluntary assisted dying can be one of the most beautiful experiences that you could ever have, but more importantly, for your family,” Worthington told ABC in the month of September. ”
No one desires to pass away while experiencing painful symptoms. I would rather not end my life in agony.
The generous donor fought valiantly for the rights of breast cancer patients in Western Australia.
Following a mastectomy and a long battle with chronic breast disease that began when Worthington was 34 years old, she established Breast Cancer Care WA in the year 2000.
More than $40 million has been collected by the charity to support families and individuals in Western Australia who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Both the 1998 Order of Australia Medal and the 2015 Western Australian of the Year were bestowed upon her.
In a statement released after Worthington passed away, Breast Cancer Care WA paid tribute to her remarkable life and charitable contributions.
“As we honour Ros’s memory, we celebrate the wonderful legacy she leaves behind— one of hope and unwavering commitment to making a difference,” according to the statement.
