Many may be familiar with the YouTube video-gone-viral of a beautiful 29-year-old woman describing her plans to take her own life with grace and dignity. When Brittany Maynard was diagnosed with an advanced, aggressive, and lethal form of brain cancer, she and her husband exhausted all medical treatment options with little success. To take advantage of the state’s legislation on terminal illness, they moved from California to Oregon. In Oregon, Maynard met with physicians and ultimately decided to end her life through physician-assisted suicide. This choice gave her the chance to die on her own terms; surrounded with loved ones, comfortable in her own bed, with music she enjoys playing in the background, all while avoiding the vicious and lethal toll that her brain tumor would eventually take on her.      

Physician assisted death, death with dignity, right to die, compassionate dying, end of life choice, and medical assistance at the end of life are all euphemisms for pharmaceutically ending one’s life prematurely. Currently, there are only five states that support this including Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, Montana, and Vermont. 

Patients must be terminally ill, with an estimated six months or less to live, and meet other eligibility requirements to even be considered. The patient is required to request the prescription for the lethal drug at least twice orally, and at least once in writing. Their physician is required to review other options with them for end of life care, such as palliative care, pain management, and hospice. The attending physician and consulting physician must make the official six-month diagnosis, and write the prescription; but the medicine must be self-administered by the patient.      

There are many established major organizations that are in support of assisted suicide, but it remains a very controversial topic. Many opponents feel that it is like trying to “play God” or rob nature of its chance to run its natural course on a life.

On the side in support, advocates describe how this option gives terminally ill patients control in a situation where they are feeling hopeless and scared. By choosing their time to pass, eligible patients can avoid the fear, pain, and lack of control that is intrinsic to deaths from illness.      

Brittany Maynard became one of the most recognized spokespersons for the dignity in death movement. She passed away Nov. 1 in the way she intended -- comfortably in her bedroom, surrounded by loved ones. The epitaph from her obituary contained one of her final statements. Maynard stated, “It is people who pause to appreciate life and give thanks who are happiest. If we change our thoughts, we change our world! Love and peace to you all.” Thoughts and prayers go out to her family in this hard time.