Assisted Suicide Controversy

Assisted Suicide, or Assisted “Dying” as some people are campaigning to have changed, can cause a great amount of debate and emotions. Should people, if they have a terminal illness, have the right to end their life on their own time?

Brittany Maynard believed that she should have the choice to end her life before her illness took its course. Mrs. Maynard was diagnosed with grade II astrocytoma, a form of brain cancer, in early January of 2014.

On Nov. 1, 2014 Mrs. Maynard ended her life surrounded by loved ones and friends. Mrs. Maynard posted on her Facebook page, “Goodbye to all my dear friends and family that I love. Today is the day I have chosen to pass away with dignity in the face of my terminal illness, this terrible brain cancer that has taken so much from me … but would have taken so much more”, as reported by New York Daily News.

With Mrs. Maynard’s announcement that she would be ending her own life, before the cancer took away her cognitive ability, sparked a massive amount of discussion about assisted dying.

As of early 2015, assisted dying is only legal in Oregon, Vermont, New Mexico and Washington. In these states, if you have a terminal illness that will cause death within six months, you have the right to end your own life. This is usually done with a lethal amount of drugs that is prescribed by a physician. The patient must administer the drugs themselves and cannot have assistance.

Groups in support of assisted dying, such as Compassion and Choices, educate people about health care options that give more choices at the end of the life. They are a nonprofit organization that want access for patients to have end-of-life options.

Compassion and Choices provides end-of-life consultation to dying patients and their families for no cost. They were able to defeat the Bush administration challenge of the law that they were able to get passed, Oregon’s Death with Dignity.

Whatever side one agrees with, it’s inevitable to admire the courage and bravery it takes to end one’s life at one’s choosing. It is impossible to say that someone will die within a certain set of time, however for some, there may be comfort in the idea that there are other options for dying patients other than waiting for the end.