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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Science
Jane Hutcheon

Ageing and the mortality alarm: ‘I started panicking about future me’

Illustration showing a woman looking into a succession of mirrors with a slightly different silhouette reflected in each one. The last few mirrors are gradually cracking
‘When your parents survive into their 90s and you have children of your own, you can’t fail to think about the trajectory life takes,’ … Jane Hutcheon. Illustration: Victoria Hart/Guardian Design

My mum was due to celebrate a century of life and looking forward to getting her card from the Queen. She’d been living in an aged-care facility which had been through multiple lockdowns due to Covid. Our family started preparations for her birthday party; “hold the date” cards were sent.

On Mum’s behalf, we applied to receive the birthday card from the Queen. But early one night, after another lockdown, my dad rang. “I don’t think she’ll make it to the weekend,” he said. “Come quickly.”

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