Lily Thai is 23 years old. This week she will end her pain through voluntary assisted dying.

Lily Thai's life will end tomorrow. 

It's a decision the 23-year-old made herself after signing the paperwork last week. 

Lily, who suffers from Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), has chosen to make use of voluntary assisted dying laws, legalised in South Australia in January, to end her suffering. 

EDS is a condition that mainly affects the joints, skin and blood vessels 

"I decided that pain was so severe it wasn’t worth it, and I just wanted to take it into my own hands," she told The Advertiser.

On Wednesday, doctors will administer an IV medication, which will terminate her life within 10 seconds. 

Speaking to the publication, Lily says she has made peace with the "confronting" decision. 

"I’ll no longer have any pain, I will no longer suffer with any of these issues, and I’ll finally be free of all the suffering that I have endured for so many years," she said. 

Lily Thai will be departing from this life on Wednesday – a decision she’s made to free herself from illness and suffering through voluntary assisted dying. Read about how she came to this decision: https://t.co/IiW0wE5omc #theadvertiser pic.twitter.com/1ZyNzHysYf

— The Advertiser (@theTiser) June 18, 2023

Lily was diagnosed with EDS when she was 17 years old. A year later, she caught a severe upper respiratory infection and lost her ability to "walk, use her bowels, eat and/or drink without being sick". 

She later underwent treatment thinking her health deterioration was caused by a spinal fluid leak, but her condition never improved.

Lily told The Advertiser that doctors in Adelaide said she was "making it up and doing it for attention" and she later travelled to Sydney to meet a surgeon.

At that point, she was confined to a halo brace, required a nasal feeding tube and weighed around 40 kgs.

She eventually found some relief thanks to the doctors at Sydney’s Macquarie University Hospital. 

In 2021, she had a spinal fusion surgery and was fitted with a feeding device called a gastro jejenul tube. 

Then came another diagnosis - autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy, a rare condition, where the body’s immune system attacks the nervous system. 

"The neurologist said that I was in multi-organ failure, but it wasn’t until I had a severe decline after one of my surgeries, [and] when I saw my rehab doctor they found a large lesion of the left side of my brain," she said. 

"He suspected I had a type of motor neurone disease."

Ahead of Wednesday, Lily has been able to plan "aspects of her funeral" and has written letters to her loved ones. 

She says her family have respected her decision, but knows "how hard it will be hard" for them. 

Her mum had to step out of the room when she signed her final paperwork last week "because she found it too much".

"We’ve got a lovely place to be buried for me," she shared.

"It’s been really beautiful seeing everything and telling my family how much they mean to me."

In lieu of flowers, Lily is inviting donations for palliative research to The Hospital Research Foundation on her memorial card, which will be given to funeral attendees.

To learn more about EDS, visit The Ehlers-Danlos Society here.  

If you think you may be experiencing depression or another mental health problem, please contact your general practitioner. If you're based in Australia, 24-hour support is available through Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 22 4636.

Feature Image: Getty.