A woman battling a terrible autoimmune disease was able to experience her own “princess” moment before she takes the steps to end her own life via assisted dying.
Annie Holland’s life has been anything but ordinary since she was diagnosed with Autoimmune Autonomic Ganglionopath, a rare and serious condition that causes her immune system to attack her nervous system.
The disease isn’t always fatal, but Annie’s diagnosis came too late, and the side-effects and symptoms she lives with each day put into perspective how trivial the troubles most of us encounter really are.
As per news.com.au, the young woman is one infection away from sepsis, while a feeding tube malfunction could lead to starvation, and a ‘bone crumble’ could cause suffocation.
The past few months have been especially rough on Annie, who is shortly due to have life-threatening surgery that will see her undergo total teeth extraction and a bone graft because her jaw is crumbling.
Reportedly, she was in and out of hospital over Christmas as she battled constant infections.
In a recent social media post, Annie, 25, explained that for years she had told people she didn’t want a wedding or marriage, though had come to live in quiet grief as she watched people around her getting married and having children.
In November last year, it was revealed that Annie had been approved for voluntary assisted dying (VAD). She is fighting to stay alive, but has chosen VAD because she doesn’t want to face a slow, painful death when her body inevitably loses the battle.
In a bid to create memories that will live for years to come, she’s made a bucket list, affectionally dubbing it her “F***-it List”.
One wish on said list was for her to experience a ‘wedding’ day, and so a special private fitting was arranged at Adelaide Bridal Collective.
During the hair and makeup session for her big day, Annie had to pause to inject powerful medication just to give her the pain relief to be able to breathe.
Even so, she valiantly pushed through to create a wonderful memory with her family.
“I always said that I didn’t want to get married or have a wedding and I almost think it was just so I felt better about it, the fact that it won’t happen for me,” Annie said, as per news.com.au.
“Trying on a wedding dress is not just for me, I think it’s a rite of passage for your whole family.
“You have your children and you want to see them have their 18th, their 21st, watching them get married, I didn’t have any of those things. So it’s nice to be able to give my family that experience and a positive memory.”
She also elaborated on how important the day was for her father.
“It’s important for Dad,” she explained. “Usually the preparations are all about the girls, women, your mum but walking a daughter down the aisle, that’s the one part the father gets to do that’s so special.
“Like I always say, ‘when I’m gone I’m gone’. I will be happy and peaceful but it’s everyone else that continues to live on and feel sad so to be able to leave them with a memory and something to talk about and pictures of this day, that is something happy and it is really really special.”
Highlighting the significance of her special day, Annie revealed that it had given her the chance to feel like “the old Annie”.
“I did it, I made it, and I got to do it when I feel like me. When you’re unwell you lose all those parts of you that really make you feel like who you are,” she said, per news.com.au.
“Today I feel like the old Annie. I can see past my illness and I can see me like the person I really, truly, actually am, instead of focusing on what has been taken away from me.
“It’s more than just trying on a dress, it’s like a whole moment and I feel like I got my moment.
“I just feel like a normal 25-year-old.”
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