Mighty walk to raise awareness

Belinda Teh passed through Manjimup last week on a 3500km walk from Melbourne to Perth, to raise awareness of legalising assisted dying.

Ms Teh took on the challenge several years after her mother died from cancer and was not given the option to end the pain she was experiencing.

“By the time we found out she had cancer she was stage four advanced, aggressive, terminal breast cancer, all the best words in one sentence,” Ms Teh said.

“The chemotherapy was not working so she was given a few weeks to live and her direct response to finding out this news was to ask the doctor to help her go quicker.”

She said because it was not a legal option in WA the doctors could not help with her request.

“My mum was in a lot of pain and in my eyes keeping her alive was cruel,” she said.

So far Ms Teh has travelled about 40km per day since her walk started from the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne on May 28.

She said there was a significant reason she started off in Melbourne.

“It is now legal in Victoria but it still is not in WA,” Ms Teh said.

“I really want to make a huge statement to politicians, the State and the country to say the community does want this change.”

On August 6 she will arrive at the steps to parliament house in Perth, surrounded by a group of other like-minded people who also want to see WA’s assisted dying laws change.