Shocking:Couple Married More Than 60 Years Took Overdose Together And This Happened
It was a shocking news that a couple who had been married for more than 60 years took an overdose together as they couldn’t face being apart.
As reported by metro.co.uk, Robert Thorne, 85, and his wife Pamela, 83, were both suffering from serious ill-health and took morphine overdoses while lying next to each other in bed at home. Robert, who had terminal cancer, died as a result. How old was Jesus when he died? But Pamela, who has dementia, survived after being taken, against her wishes and those of her family, to hospital and is now living in a care home, the coroner was told. An inquest at Exeter’s County Hall today heard how they had both taken an overdose of morphine which had been prescribed to Mr Thorne after he was given two to three months to live. Mr and Mrs Thorne’s daughter, Juliet, told how they had been married for 63 years, were devoted to each other and would hold hands when they were out walking. She revealed her parents had made it well-known to the family that their wish was to never be in a position where they were reliant on others and would never accept going into a nursing or retirement home.
Robert Thorne, 85, and his wife Pamela, 83, both took an overdose together as they couldn’t face being apart – but Robert died while Pamela survived (Picture: Getty)
Juliet said: ‘It was almost a standing joke in the family they would choose to end their lives together. Any mention of how was never mentioned but it was light hearted and very much a joint decision.’ She continued: ‘Although both their short term memories were appalling, they were perfectly able to discuss matters as they always had done. We had no concerns over their mental capacity of what was happening in their lives.’ Robert was described by Juliet as a ‘proud, independent, headstrong and self-reliant man’ and she said her parents both believed the most unbearable thing they could have imagined was being apart. Mr Thorne died at their home in Moretonhampstead, Devon, on November 19, 2015. Virgin Trains door bursts open at speed leaving passengers and staff terrified Both Mr and Mrs Thorne had previously recorded wishes with their GP and family in a Treatment Escalation Plan (TEP) that they did not wish to be resuscitated or taken to hospital if the need should arise. Their request was honoured by a duty GP at Moretonhampstead Health Centre who visited their home on the day of the overdose and admitted during the inquest she now realised the plan was not valid in the ‘unusual’ situation she found herself in. On the day of the overdose, Juliet recalled visiting her parent’s home as usual. She told how her mother had seemed weaker than usual. When she left later that morning they were both sitting up in bed as her mother had asked to be with him. When she returned at 3pm they were still in bed. Juliet said her father was asleep and breathing, and her mother was dozing and responded when spoken to. She recalled carrying out chores around the home. It was only when a carer later arrived and checked on them that concerns were raised as she could not rouse them and an empty 300ml morphine bottle was found which was usually kept in the kitchen.
Describing her mother’s health before the overdose she said she had recently been given medication for anxiety issues, was prone to falling over which was linked to her dementia and had double incontinence, believed to have possibly been bowel cancer. Mr Thorne had become her carer and Juliet recalled how they both reluctantly accepted the need for help, especially after he was diagnosed with skin cancer in April 2015, and then terminal cancer. Although not curable he was offered chemotherapy which he declined and was told in November 2015 his life expectancy without it would be two to three months. Husband, 57, starved wife, 37, making her eat his scraps from bin Juliet said. ‘I saw a huge change in my father’s demeanour from a capable independent man to someone who had accepted his fate.’ Self-employed carer Shona Lumsdaine recalled how Mr Thorne was worried about what would happen to his wife when he passed away. She added he had given up although had not given up on her. Duty GP Sadie Penfold recalled first being contacted by the carer at around 4pm shortly after visiting their home. Mr Thorne’s death was confirmed at 4.40pm but she did not inform police, and Mrs Thorne was still breathing. She admitted she had told an ambulance for Mrs Thorne to stand down because she believed she was acting upon her previously expressed wishes and at the time had thought was making correct decision not to administer a naloxone injection which would have reversed the effects of the overdose. A decision was made by Dr Penfold and the family to monitor Mrs Thorne at home. By the time a first responder arrived, Mrs Thorne was noted to have recovered ‘significantly’. When asked what lessons she had since learned she said that the TEP medical forms were not valid in that ‘incredibly unusual situation’. ‘I remember feeling I really did not know what to do,’ she said. ‘I had never had to call the police before. I naively felt suicide was not a criminal offence hence my decision not to involve police and I had never been involved in an unexpected death before.’ An ambulance trust clinical supervisor rang the home just gone 9pm due to concerns over the incident and welfare of Mrs Thorne who was with family and a carer. A second crew arrived and at that point she was breathing but not conscious. She was taken to hospital and given the naloxone injection.
Shocking:Couple Married More Than 60 Years Took Overdose Together And This Happened
