The following is a tribute from W-BAD’s Founder to Heather Ashton, who is recognized as an honorary W-BAD team member in memoriam for her massive contributions to the global cause over many decades.

In Memory of Heather Ashton

I first came to know Heather in January 2009, during my benzodiazepine drug damages case in the Tokyo District Court.

Despite a public notice asking people to refrain from making personal inquiries, she responded to my desperate plea for help, kindly providing information that withdrawal reactions can occur whilst still taking benzodiazepines exactly as prescribed without any changes in dosages.

We stayed in regular contact for six years thereafter, working together on the translation of The Ashton Manual in Japanese, my presentation at the 2014 ISAM Congress, assisting Japanese doctors and the press, as well as working on my book which she kindly endorsed.

We exchanged literally thousands of e-mails, often sharing laughs along the way.

While working on The Ashton Manual in Japanese, I enquired, “Do you mean ‘heavy type,’ as in heavy kind of drug?” “No, I had to laugh…,” she replied, “I meant ‘heavy type’ as in font type: bold!”

Perhaps not such a good example but she’d know what I mean…

Gradually, I came to know a very special person, learning more about her tireless efforts in helping individual sufferers worldwide, by telephone and e-mails, where international medical systems had been failing.

I could only imagine her sitting in her upstairs office at home responding to the many hundreds and thousands of requests for help that kept flooding in from various countries, and yet she did her best to respond, the whole time writing medical papers, giving presentations, advising international governments and so on.

Looking back, I find it difficult to imagine how she ever found the time to read through all the chapters of my book, giving valuable feedback, but she did.

I now realize that my initial writings left a lot to be desired. However, she always believed in me; I’m sure no one else would have had the patience or the willingness to give up one’s time to assist in such a way.

I came to know Heather as an incredibly learned woman with broad knowledge in areas not only concerning medicine but also science, literature, philosophy, history and the like, and despite this, she was always so humble and approached people on a personal level that they felt comfortable with.

Running a benzodiazepine withdrawal clinic under the NHS for 10 years, she was a compassionate doctor with traditional values. She sat and listened to patients, enriching her knowledge about the implications of prescribed benzodiazepines.

As humble and gracious as she is, Heather was always quick to point out that it was the patients themselves who first became aware of the risks associated with these drugs.

While giving my presentation, which Heather kindly helped with, at the ISAM Congress in Yokohama back in 2014, I had the opportunity to meet with Chaobang, her grandson who was studying in Tokyo at the time.

Talking about Heather’s commitment, he said, “I think she’ll continue as long as she’s able…,” and indeed that’s exactly what she did.

Held on 11 July, World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day (W-BAD) is established in Heather’s honour, and I hope this global initiative will continue to grow, enabling others to carry the torch, as her spirit and legacy live on.

A truly special woman of her time, she will be dearly missed. Thank you so much Heather.

With the deepest of respect and admiration, may you rest gently in ever-lasting peace.

Love always,

Wayne

P.S. The last couple of years have been exceptionally difficult, but I somehow have to get back to completing the book. Setting out once again, with much higher stakes and greater challenges ahead, I know that Heather will be watching over. With a much-needed turn of fortune, hopefully we’ll get there somehow…