Nancy pays the price for being elderly and female

According to Valko, relatives retreat from the vulnerability of dying women. "It was also unfortunately common to hear her children say that they found it too hard to see their mum this way and that they would rather remember her the way she used to be," she says.

Canetto warns that the legalisation of euthanasia would only victimise more women. "If older women are uniquely affected by the legalisation of hastened death," she says, "then policies presented as 'neutral', enhancing self-determination, dignity and choice in death, may actually be dangerous to older women."

Far from presenting a case for legalised euthanasia, Nancy Crick's plea to die is probably a plea for more affection. So far, she has had flowers from Dr Nitschke and standing ovations at public rallies.

It's a pity their affection is conditional upon her death.