Former teacher Chantal Sebire had an incurable cancerous growth in the nasal cavity known as an esthesioneuroblastoma and she had failed to get her plea for euthanasia accepted.
Chantal Sebire had asked a French court to allow doctors to help her die because her tumour had left her blind, disfigured and in intense pain, however, whilst the court agreed that her condition might "inspire compassion" it ruled that the law did not allow assisted suicide.
Chantal Sebire had pointed out that she could no longer see properly, taste or smell and she described how children ran away from her in the street because of her appearance.
Only 200 cases of esthesioneuroblastoma have been recorded worldwide in the last 20 years.
