I CANNOT let Ellie Cunnington’s letter (HAS, June 28) go unanswered as her remark about the Nazis was so uncalled for.

I do not think any victim of Nazi cruelty was suffering an incurable illness and asked to be killed. That was not euthanasia, that was murder.

If she wishes to suffer for her beliefs that is her choice, but I watched my father take four years to die of incurable cancer. I heard him beg my mother for the pills to end the pain.

I saw how hurt and upset she was by her inability to end his suffering.

The last few weeks, as he lay in a hospital bed a gaunt yellow skeleton, unable to recognise us, moaning softly from the pain, I asked the doctors to end it. But they were unable to help.

Every now and then he sat upright and screamed with the pain and I longed for it to be over for him.

When he died I was unable to grieve as I was so glad for him.

I fervently hope no one has to go through the same thing – patient or family member – again.

Tom Cooper, Durham City.