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A MUM who admitted to ending the life of her terminally ill son has died - days after police revealed they were probing the boy's death.
Hamish Cooper spent two years in agony after being diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma - a rare childhood cancer - aged just five.
His mum Antonya, 77, admitted she chose to "quietly end his life" at home in Oxfordshire in 1981 by giving him a large dose of morphine.
Thames Valley Police said on Wednesday it was investigating Antonya, who is a former chair of Neuroblastoma UK and was also battling cancer herself.
Her family today shared the news that she had died.
In a statement to the BBC, Antonya's daughter Tabitha said: "She was peaceful, pain free, at home and surrounded by her loving family.
"It was exactly the way she wanted it. She lived life on her terms and she died on her terms."
Last week cops said it was "aware of reports relating to an apparent case of assisted dying of a seven-year-old boy in 1981".
They added: "At this early stage, the force is making enquiries into these reports and is not in a position to comment further while these investigations continue."
Assisted dying - where a person helps another person end their own life - and euthanasia - deliberately ending a person's life - are illegal in England.
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Speaking about the tragedy previously, Antonya said her son had initially been given three months to live after he was diagnosed.
His life was extended following "beastly" cancer treatment but Hamish was left in a lot of pain.
The mum said: "In the middle of the night, we were by his bedside.
"He was expressing that he had pain and I said, 'Would you like me to take the pain away?'
"He said, 'Yes please, Mama'."
Antonya then explained how she gave Hamish a dose of morphine after deciding the "time was right".
She told BBC Radio Oxford on Tuesday she believed her son knew she was intending to end his life.
The mum added: "It was the right thing to do.
"My son was facing the most horrendous suffering and intense pain, I was not going to allow him to go through that."
When she came forward to the cops, Antonya said: “They would have to be quick, because I’m dying too.”
Assisted suicide - the law
Both euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal in the UK.
Euthanasia, sometimes known as mercy killing, is the practice of intentionally ending someone's life to relieve their pain and suffering, while assisted suicide involves the person wishing to die taking an active role in ending their own life.
Euthanasia carries a maximum penalty of life in jail, and assisted suicide 14 years.
The only exception is "passive euthanasia", which is where treatment that might extend someone's life is withdrawn - such as a life machine being turned off.
The only alternatives for terminally ill patients in the UK are hospice care or refusing treatment, which mentally capable patients have the right to do.
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Patients can give an "advance decision" to refuse treatment or opt for terminal sedation, which means they will be kept unconscious as death approaches.
As a result, some terminally ill people decide to travel abroad to die to clinics such as Dignitas in Switzerland.
COMMENT: Jane Atkinson - 'I feel sympathy for her'
By Jane Atkinson, published yesterday
When Antonya Cooper admitted she had ended the life of her terminally ill son Hamish when he was just seven years old, she knew she would cause outrage.
Some of the response has actually been horrific, with cruel people calling her a murderer and a horrible bitch, and several have said she should immediately be arrested and sent to prison.
I don’t. I can feel nothing but absolute sympathy for Antonya because she has suffered enough.
She told BBC Radio Oxford this week that 43 years ago her little boy had stage four cancer and asked her to ease his “most horrendous suffering”, so she gave him “a large dose of morphine that did quietly end his life”.
I cannot imagine the torture she went through doing this heartbreaking, selfless act for the little boy she adored and who she wanted to be with for ever.
When he was first diagnosed with the rare cancer neuroblastoma, little Hamish was the same age as my five-year-old son, and I would like to think that if I was in that same horrific position, I would somehow find that stomach- churning strength to do exactly the same thing if there was absolutely no hope left.
Hamish underwent 16 months of “beastly” cancer treatment that left him in constant agony.
On the last night of his life, Antonya asked him: “Would you like me to remove the pain?” and he said: “Yes please, Mama.”
She says she believes he knew what was going to happen, adding: “I was his mother.
He loved his mother and I totally loved him, and I was not going to let him suffer, and I feel he really knew where he was going.”
She was determined not to let him go through more “horrendous suffering and intense pain”, saying: “It was the right thing to do . . . I was not going to allow him to go through that.”
Of course it was the right thing to do.
A caring, loving, devoted mother’s job is to protect her child, not watch them suffer. She eased his agony. Finally.
And since then Antonya has devoted her life to other children with the same cancer, after launching the charity Neuroblastoma UK.
Now, in what must be the cruellest twist of fate, the 77-year-old has terminal cancer herself — which is probably why she has decided that life is too short for her to keep her harrowing past decision secret.
She knows it could mean that she has potentially admitted to manslaughter or murder, and said of the police: “They would have to be quick, because I’m dying too.”
We all know that assisted suicide — the act of intentionally helping someone to end their life — and euthanasia, the deliberate ending of a person’s life, are both illegal in the UK, and Thames Valley Police are “making inquiries” into Antonya’s case.
And yes, in the eyes of the law, she has committed a crime.
But I hope they see sense, have some compassion and realise there are more pressing offences to deal with than this crime of total love.
The pain of losing her little boy in the way Antonya did is a life sentence in itself.
And every person who calls her a horrible bitch should take a look at their own child — or that of a loved one — and ask what they would really, really do if that person was slowly and painfully dying in front of them and needed help.
Antonya says she is not a religious person, but adds there is “a tiny voice inside me that believes it would be wonderful if I could cuddle Hamish again”.
I truly hope that tiny voice is right.
I bet he runs into her arms, because that little boy up in heaven will be truly proud to call this amazingly brave woman his Mama.