Suicide Pod gave woman daunting 8-word command before she took her own life
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
After an American woman became the first to voluntarily end her own life using a ‘suicide pod’, the chilling eight-word instruction that the controversial device issued her just minutes prior to her death have hit headlines across the world.
The pods have been the subject of vast debate for several months (ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images)
According to AFP, a 64-year-old woman – who is currently not being named – died using a Sarco pod, the line of which has been the subject of much debate since their construction earlier this year amid global discussions on euthanasia.
The 3D-printed devices – which are named due to the shape resembling a ‘sarcophagus’ – allow the person inside to push a button, which fills the pod with nitrogen gas.
After this, the individual becomes starved of oxygen, and will pass away after just a few minutes.
Sarco pods also come with an emergency exit button, which can be pressed if the inhabitant changes their mind on the procedure.
The devices also issue a somewhat eerie eight-word instruction to those using the pods, which commences the process.
This means that ‘If you want to die, press this button’ are the final words that the unnamed US woman would have heard prior to her passing.
The pods issue an eerie instruction prior to starving the individual of oxygen (ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images)
Following the news of her passing away inside a pod – which are based in Switzerland – had passed away, police confirmed yesterday (24 September) that ‘several people’ had been arrested amid an ongoing criminal case.
Investigating authorities said in a statement: “The public prosecutor’s office of the canton of Schaffhausen was informed on Monday, September 23, 2024 at 4:40 p.m. by a law firm that an assisted suicide with the Sarco capsule had taken place in the afternoon at a forest hut in Merishausen.
“As a result, the Schaffhausen police, including the forensic emergency service, and the public prosecutor’s office of the canton of Schaffhausen went to the scene of the crime.
“In addition, specialists from the Forensic Institute Zurich (FOR) and the Institute of Legal Medicine Zurich (IRMZ) were called in. The Sarco suicide capsule was secured and the deceased person was taken to the IRMZ for an autopsy.
‘Several people’ have been arrested following the individual’s passing (ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images)
“In addition, several people in the Merishausen area were taken into police custody. The public prosecutor’s office is also investigating the violation of other criminal offences.”
An investigation has since been opened by prosecutors, who suspect those involved of both incitement and accessory to suicide.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.
Featured Image Credit: ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images
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The new season is the perfect excuse to upgrade your wardrobe, but what about your makeup bag?
If your bathroom shelf is crying out for an autumn refresh, then you’ll want to act fast on this incredible deal that shoppers say is ‘worth every penny’..
LookFantastic
You may have heard of LOOKFANTASTIC’s cult beauty box on TikTok. A monthly subscription service, subscribers receive some of the most coveted products of the moment through their letterbox, from cult cleansers and moisturisers to makeup that’s doing the rounds on social media.
If you haven’t given it a go yet or fancy spoiling a mate, then here’s everything you need to know about the September Edit that fans have hailed ‘one of the best yet’.
What’s inside the LookFantastic September Box?
We know a good bargain when we see one. Case in point: the LookFantastic September Box will give your bathroom shelf the seasonal upgrade it’s craving with six thoughtfully-chosen beauty picks for this season and beyond.
So, what’s in the box itself?
1.The Nue Co. Skin Filter Serum 10ml, worth £10
LookFantastic
You’re sure to have heard about the Skin Filter Serum. If you’re not on the retinol bandwagon, then this is a more gentle way to approach anti-ageing. The cult serum is designed to brighten skin, smooth fine lines, and refine texture. The 10ml bottle is quite hard to get hold of elsewhere too.
2.ESPA Bergamot and Jasmine Body Lotion 75ml, worth £10
LookFantastic
Next up: the kind of product we all want but would never buy for ourselves. The ESPA Body Lotion formulated to nourish the skin with a spa-like scent of bergamot and jasmine. A little slice of luxury without having to leave the house.
3.Peter Thomas Roth FirmX Peeling Gel 15ml, worth £12
LookFantastic
Hailed an ‘everything shower essential’ in the reviews section, this is nothing short of a cult product. Powered by glycerin and hyaluronic acid, it’s essentially a gentle exfoliant designed to combat dryness in one fell swoop.
4.Umberto Giannini Scalp Scrub 50ml, worth £3.95
LookFantastic
Since when did anti-dandruff shampoos look so chic? A game-changing product, the Umberto Giannini Scalp Scrub will wake up dry autumn hair in just one wash.
5.Delilah Lip Liner in shade ‘pout’, worth £20
LookFantastic
We really need to upgrade our makeup bag and the Delilah Lip Line screams autumn. It has glowing five-star reviews and has been praised for its colour and holding power. What more could you want?
The September box will also include a sixth lucky dip gift. You will either receive a Benefit Fan Fest Fun Size Mascara (worth £9) or the Natasha Denona Eyeshadow in shade ‘I Need a Nude’ that retails for £10.
Two great options and it’s a little surprise to look forward to.
How much does the LookFantastic September Box cost?
You can purchase the LookFantastic September Box cost on the website for £13 as part of a 12-month subscription. Or if you want to give it a go before committing, you can bag the box for £15.
Featured Image Credit: LOOKFANTASTIC
When Australian model Ellidy Pullin was informed back in 2020 that her beloved partner Alex Chump had tragically died in a freak spearfishing accident, she was faced with an impossible decision.
Being that the 32-year-old and Alex had been ‘trying for a baby’ in the months prior to his shock passing, she was offered the opportunity to undergo a post-mortem sperm retrieval, which would allow her to become pregnant with his child, despite him having died.
Immediately, Ellidy accepted, and she says it’s the best decision she ever made, dubbing her and Alex’s child a ‘miracle’.
Australian model, Ellidy Pullin, has opened up about conceiving her ‘miracle’ child. (Instagram/@ellidy_)
Recalling the incident which stole the life of her beloved partner, she told listeners of the Good Mourning podcast: “It was just a normal day, we woke up like any other day – the sun was shining, it was a beautiful day.
“Chump was like ‘Do I go for a surf today or do I go for a dive today?”’
Having opted to instead go spearfishing that fateful day (8 July 2020), Alex ventured off to the beach, whilst Ellidy went for a walk with their pet dog, Manny.
Little did she know, however, that in kissing her partner goodbye, she’d sealed the last ever moment she’d see him alive.
Within a few hours of her walk, she later stumbled upon a Facebook post reporting that an unconscious body had been pulled out around the same spot Alex was at.
She had no idea the body in question could ever be Alex, but when it finally kicked in, the horrible reality finally dawned on her.
Alex Chump died in 2020. (Instagram/@ellidy_)
The former Winter Olympics athlete had drowned after suffering a ‘shallow-water blackout’ when trying to hold his breath for too long.
“I saw him that morning – he’s the happiest, fittest person – and he just never came home that day,” Ellidy shared.
Just a matter of hours after his death, Ellidy’s friends and family started discussing post-mortem sperm retrieval as the couple had previously been trying for a baby.
Health.com explains: “To perform the retrieval, a surgeon or urologist may conduct an epididymal aspiration (extraction of sperm with a needle through the skin), a testicular biopsy, or a complete removal of the testicles.
“Once the sperm is extracted, it can be frozen and stored the same way fertility clinics freeze a living donor’s semen.”
The process, also referred to as PSR, is legal in the UK yet it is subject to a number of conditions including the donor providing written consent to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) before the procedure can take place.
Ellidy’s ‘miracle’ baby (Instagram/@ellidy_)
So, 12 hours later, Ellidy agreed to go through with the process and started the IVF course six months after.
She went through two rounds of IVF before giving birth to Minnie Alex Pullin in October 2021.
”She’s now four months – and she looks like him. […] I’m gonna see him in her eyes,” Ellidy said back in 2022.
She has since opened up about the situation in her own podcast, Darling, Shine!, explaining: “My grief is for Chump, he’s missing out on being a dad. I see dads with their babies knowing how good he would have been.
“Every day I go to the beach and I see guys walking along the beach with their chicks and the guy is carrying the baby in the carrier on his chest and the girl’s got the dog.”
She also revealed that every time she sees a dad with a baby it ‘f**king kills’ her, adding: “I am so happy for that person, it’s not a pity party here.”
Minnie was born thanks to a groundbreaking IVF procedure. (@ellidy_/Instagram)
”We were so lucky that his sperm was still alive, it was happy and healthy. Everything just aligned and I think Chump was just guiding it – I think it was all meant to be.”
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@ellidy_
It took several weeks and countless doctors to determine that the severe allergic reaction 28-year-old Georgina Jelley was suffering from only seemed to occur on a monthly basis.
And in a startling follow-up revelation, she made the unexpected discovery that she actually suffers from a biological intolerance to her own menstrual cycle.
Georgina had no idea that the rare condition even existed. (SWNS)
Back in April, after having been on the contraceptive injection for several years, Georgina made the decision to have a coil fitted.
Her GP initially recommended the switch after she began experiencing premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) symptoms from the jabs.
Just three weeks later, however, she began suffering itchy eyes, whopping headaches and sporadic rashes, which would appear all over her body.
Being that all her symptoms seemed to point at an allergic reaction – though the trigger at this point remained unknown – the Londoner’s GP prescribed her with both oral steroids and antihistamines in an attempt to reduce her discomfort.
“It was such a strange burning sensation in my eyes,” she later told press. “They kept watering and my cheeks were red too.
“I thought maybe it was a reaction to my fabric conditioner or something.”
Though her agony initially subsided, just three weeks later, her symptoms flared up again – this time, to a more extreme degree.
One of Georgina’s major symptoms was a rash. (Kinga Krzeminska/Getty)
So much so, that the mother-of-one was quickly referred to an eye specialist, where she underwent an MRI scan in hope of identifying the cause of her pain.
“My eyes were so red – it looked like I was wearing an eye mask and it affected my vision,” she recalled. “It was so painful and I was so worried that something was seriously wrong.”
Bizarrely, however, Georgina’s tests all came back clear.
Though she was glad to hear that her pain was not being caused by a potentially-fatal ailment, she was equally devastated to remain at a loss about what was going on within her body.
Some medics hinted that she may simply be suffering with extreme eczema, though Georgina claimed she felt ‘fobbed off’ by this assertion.
“[They] tried to give me topical steroids to treat it,” she looks back. “But I just knew that it wasn’t.”
After several further investigations were carried out by specialists at St Mary’s Hospital, Orpington, Georgina noticed a unique pattern surrounding when she experienced her reaction – when she was menstruating.
Georgina’s eyes were severely affected. (SWNS)
It turns out, that the commercial researcher has been suffering with a rare condition which means she’s technically allergic to her own period.
“My final reaction was three weeks later, and when I started to experience the allergic reaction, I moaned to my partner that it was also my time of the month, which added to what I was going through,” Georgina explained.
“He then had a light bulb moment and realised that I’d been on my period every time I had the reactions.”
After she began to research progesterone hypersensitivity, she discovered that once the eggs are released from her ovaries, an allergic reaction is triggered.
In fear of the symptoms resurfacing, Georgina subsequently made the decision to have her coil removed, and has returned to the contraceptive injection, which made her periods considerably more sparse.
“I feel so much better since having my coil removed,” she added. “It was so painful and horrible, and we had no idea why it was happening.
“I work full time and have a daughter to look after, it was a lot to go through.
The mother-of-one has now reverted back to the contraceptive injection. (Ake Ngiamsanguan/Getty)
“I spent nearly £400 on creams to try and treat the problem – I desperate to make it stop.”
Though Georgia insists she’s she’s ‘over the moon’ to have found an answer to her health battle, she is still awaiting an official diagnosis from her GP.
“It was such a surprise to me when I learnt about the condition,” Georgina admitted. “I’m told it’s a rare condition, but maybe it’s not and people just know that they have it.
“It was shocking to think I’m actually allergic to my own periods.”
She added, however, that she’d like to use her experience to ‘raise awareness of progesterone hypersensitivity’.
“I knew it wasn’t just eczema,” she claimed. “You know your body and you should always listen to your gut.”
Featured Image Credit: SWNS
For many of us, the notion of what happens to us when we pass away is something we often dread thinking about.
Whilst some religious hopefuls might believe in life after death, others are invested in the concept of reincarnation – returning to the world as another being.
Sadly, however, we’ll never know what lies ahead for us once we’re gone, or what exactly happens to our bodies when we pass over.
Well, actually, one woman knows…
Dr. Linda Kramer, who was pronounced dead for 15 minutes, has opened up about her time ‘in Heaven’, which apparently lasted for five years.
The woman suddenly ‘died’ in May 2001 in the bathroom, and she was found by her husband, who called for medical assistance that saw her get transferred to a hospital.
At some point during this ordeal, Linda was pronounced clinically dead for a period of 15 minutes, but medics were eventually able to revive her.
When she woke up, she must have been more than a little confused as she claimed to have spent half a decade in Heaven, where time allegedly does not pass in the same way as it does here on Earth.
Linda was able to estimate that she was in the afterlife for five years, because she knew she could walk from between three and six miles an hour here on Earth.
Getty/James O’Neill
Explaining what it was like in Heaven, she recalled seeing an incredible mountain range, reminiscent of the biggest peak on Earth – Mount Everest.
“That’s when I found myself standing in what I termed the field of flowers. I was observing the mountain range 30,000 times huger than Mount Everest,” Linda said.
“There’s a huge mountain range over in the back of wherever I was. I could see buildings with skyscrapers. Dubai are like little miniature huts in comparison.”
“I saw lakes, I could see everything in a panoramic view,” she continued. “So I’m there interacting with people, talking to people, becoming them.”
The doctor explained that it was very easy to travel in Heaven and all she had to do to be transported to a new place was to think about it.
Linda also revealed that she could easily shape shift in Heaven too, and she could morph into any person she encountered during her time there.
YouTube / Earth To The Other Side
Needless to say, Linda is far from the first person to claim to have experienced the afterlife.
However, despite the fact that there have been many reported incidents of the afterlife, one scientist has argued that it is impossible for a person’s consciousness to continue to exist after death.
Dr Sean Carroll, of the California Institute of Technology, said that the laws of physics dictate that the existence of an afterlife is impossible.
He said: “The laws of physics underlying everyday life are completely understood, and there’s no way within those laws to allow for the information stored in our brains to persist after we die.”
