A Young Woman’s Final Decision

A 25-year-old Australian woman has made the heartbreaking and controversial choice to pursue medically assisted death after a lifetime of relentless illness.
Annaliese “Annie” Holland received approval for voluntary assisted dying (VAD) after years of agonizing decline, she revealed in a candid interview published November 17, 2025.

Her decision exposes the emotional, ethical, and medical turmoil families face when pain pushes a life past its limits.

Her Body Turned Against Her

Annie spent more time in hospital beds than classrooms. Her health collapsed in early adolescence, first blamed on endometriosis. Then came glandular fever and crushing chronic fatigue.

Doctors later uncovered the real cause—Autoimmune Autonomic Ganglionopathy (AAG), a rare disorder that attacks the body’s “autopilot” system.
Her heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and bladder control all began to fail.

Because her diagnosis arrived too late, even treatment options became dangerous.

The Treatments Made Everything Worse

Today, Annie is in multi-organ failure. Her bowels no longer function, leaving her unable to digest food.
She relies completely on TPN, an IV nutrition method that keeps her alive but brings constant risk of deadly infection.

She has survived 25 episodes of sepsis. Each time, doctors removed a TPN line—yet she is now down to her last viable vein.

“If I lose this line, I’ll die of malnutrition,” she said. “I don’t want to starve to death.”

Bones That Shattered Under Her

Steroids, a major part of her treatment, caused severe osteoporosis.
Her bones became so fragile that her spine fractured in multiple places. She even broke her sternum after nodding off on a hospital railing.

Surgeons refused to operate—until Annie found a specialist willing to attempt a high‑risk procedure.
She endured a brutal 13-hour operation, a five-day coma, and two months of recovery.

Although the surgery straightened her spine, steroids caused more damage.
Her teeth decayed and fell out, and infections became constant.

A Choice That Brings Peace—But Breaks Her Family

Annie lives with her parents and sister in Adelaide. She says VAD has finally given her a sense of control after years of helplessness.

“I don’t want to wake up every day in fear of the pain ahead,” she explained. “Knowing I can go when the time is right is a huge relief.”

Her father, Patrick, has watched her fight through countless emergencies.

“The amount of times she’s been on her death bed… it’s unimaginable,” he said.

Still, accepting her decision has been excruciating for him.
Annie remembers begging through tears:
“Dad, please let me go. I won’t hate you. If this happens again, I don’t want anything.”

Only then did Patrick understand.

Racing to Live Before She Dies

Despite everything, Annie isn’t waiting passively for the end.
She is pushing to enjoy whatever time she has left.

She’s planning to move into her first apartment. She’s thrilled to attend a Lady Gaga concert with her mom and sister.
Her bucket list includes an unexpected dream: trying on a wedding dress—an experience she’s never had.

While other 25‑year‑olds build futures, Annie has attended far too many funerals. But she still fights for moments of joy.

The Friend Who Changed Her Perspective

Annie’s path toward VAD began after losing her friend Lily Thai, who also suffered from a rare disorder and chose assisted dying in 2023.

Annie held Lily’s hand during her final moments.

“It was the most peaceful thing I’ve ever seen,” she said.
That moment shifted everything.

Her Biggest Fear

One fear drives her decision more than anything: dying of starvation if her TPN line fails.
She refuses to endure another agonizing decline.

After psychological assessments and medical reviews, she finally received approval.

“I know it’s strange to be happy, but I cried when I found out,” she admitted.

She also treasures a bittersweet gift—hearing the things people usually say at funerals while she’s still alive to receive them.

Wrestling With Meaning at the End

Annie often feels jealous of older patients—people who had the chance to live.
She missed milestones, convinced for years she would one day get better.

But two years ago, she looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize herself.
Her life had become a cycle of medication and survival.
She asked for palliative care simply to experience a small amount of peace outside a hospital.

“It kept me home with my family,” she said. “That’s all I wanted.”

What She Hopes People Understand

Annie dreams of a Heaven with food—coconuts, pizza, anything she has never been able to eat.
She hopes to share a slice with Lily.

And she wants people to see assisted dying differently—not as giving up, but as reclaiming dignity.

“After 12 years of being treated like a number, not a person…it’s my turn.
It’s my choice.
And that’s a conversation we should all be able to have.”