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Dignity in Dying campaigner Emma Bray dies after vowing to starve herself to death 'to protect her children'
A mother battling motor neurone disease (MND) has died after vowing to starve herself to death to protect her children from witnessing a 'brutal' and 'terrible' death.
Dignity in Dying campaigner Emma Bray spent her final days in a hospice this summer after voluntarily deciding to stop eating and drinking.
The devoted mother-of-two, who has tragically died aged 42, previously revealed how she could no longer hug her children or wipe away their tears, but was determined to fight for a law change to help others.
On Monday, Emma posted a heartbreaking final photo of her lying in a hospice bed in Devon, looking out over a row of trees.
In a prepared message on her 'Stupid_mnd' Instagram account, she said: 'If you are reading this then I've finished my final spin round the sun.
'I've lived a very good life, surrounded by love, music and laughter and I want this to continue in my memory.
'Rather than shed a tear (or whilst you do) please plant a tree or call a friend, do a random act of kindness or take time to watch a sunset.
'For moments of doubt please ask 'what would Emma do?' and run with that probably inappropriate answer. Hug everyone a little tighter and love openly.
'Please surround those who were closest to me with love, time and patience.
'And to quote Frank Turner - Remember you get to dance another day but now you have to dance for one more of us. Love you, bye.'
MND is a progressive illness that affects the brain and nerves, impacting the person's ability to move, eat and eventually breathe.
Just days before the post, Emma revealed she had completed the 'bucket list' goal of seeing Alanis Morisette in concert with her friends.
She wrote: 'After 29 years of true love I wasn't going to let a little inconvenient terminal illness let me miss this.'
In May, the former charity worker who helped hundreds of domestic abuse victims and the homeless during her life, told The Mirror that she wanted to shield her 'amazing' children from the 'brutal' death she faced.
'I've had four different health professionals tell me I've got the worst disease possible,' she said.
She wanted to spare them watching their mother suddenly choke to death and had planned her funeral and written her eulogy. She said they were forced to watch her crawl around the floor and deal with a constant stream of carers.
'My last bit of parenting I can do is to limit the suffering and trauma they have to witness,' she said.
'I made a promise to myself that I wanted to wait to see my daughter finish high school and my son grow up a little so I can picture the man he will become.'
She also revealed her plans to stop eating and drinking when she moved to a hospice.
The 'Voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED) practice typically takes between 10 to 14 days to die.
Emma had also backed the Assisted Dying Bill, arguing it would have prevented her loved ones suffering for two years with anticipatory grief.
She added: 'Imagine seeing your children crying and upset and not be able to hug them or curl up in bed and wipe their tears away.'
