Paola Marra, who was once married to Blue drummer Dave Rowntree, travelled to Switzerland’s assisted dying clinic Dignitas to end her life amid her cancer diagnosis
Blur star Dave Rowntree’s ex reportedly left a fortune of almost £1million after travelling to Dignitas to end her life.
Paola Marra – who was married to the drummer in the 90s – passed away at the clinic in Switzerland last year at the age of 53. She had been battling bowel and breast cancer before dying at the clinic, which TV star Esther Rantzen has expressed interest in following her own cancer diagnosis.
Before she died, Paola was vocal on the assisted dying debate. She told The Guardian: “I’m not scared to die. I’m scared of dying in pain.”
The Daily Mail has now been reported that she left thousands of pounds in her will. While most went to family members, Paola didn’t forget her ex.
Although they had split in the noughties, they were still close. And Dave supported Paola as she dealt with her illness.
According to the publication, Paola left a whopping £941,004 after various costs had been deducted. The bulk was left to her siblings in Canada, which is where she was from.
Parklife star Dave was left £50,000 and the contents of her home in London. Former music industry and charity worker Paola also made sure the musician would get her artwork.
She also set money aside for the care of her beloved pet dog, and made plans for money to go to charity. The organisations she picked included a greyhound rescue and cancer charities such as Wigs for Heroes and Secondary Sisters.
The publication reports that Paola has asked for her body to be donated to medical and scientific research. She wanted her ashes to be spread on Hampstead Heath.
There has been a lot of debate around assisted dying, with the subject dividing opinion. Before she died Paola recorded a video calling for a change to the law.
It was released after her death, and showed Paola saying: “When you watch this, I will be dead. I’m choosing to seek assisted dying because I refuse to let a terminal illness dictate the terms of my existence.
“The pain and suffering can become unbearable. It’s a slow erosion of dignity, the loss of independence, the stripping away of everything that makes life worth living.”
She went on: “Assisted dying is not about giving up. In fact, it’s about reclaiming control. It’s not about death. It’s about dignity.”
Dave has also blasted the current laws related to assisted dying in the UK, claiming they’re “psychopathic” and show “absolutely no empathy for the sufferer”.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
