Pro

Brittany Maynard, a 29-year old with stage 4 Glioblastoma multiforme (a malignant brain tumor), who launched a campaign with Compassion & Choices to raise awareness about Death with Dignity laws and who took lethal medication prescribed by her doctors in Oregon on Nov. 1, 2014, stated the following in an Oct. 6, 2014 People magazine article, available at people.com:

“There is not a cell in my body that is suicidal or that wants to die. I want to live. I wish there was a cure for my disease but there’s not… My glioblastoma is going to kill me, and that’s out of my control. I’ve discussed with many experts how I would die from it, and it’s a terrible, terrible way to die. Being able to choose to go with dignity is less terrifying… Right now it’s a choice that’s only available to some Americans, which is really unethical… The amount of sacrifice and change my family had to go through in order to get me legal access to Death with Dignity–changing our residency [from California to Oregon], establishing a team of doctors, having a place to live–was profound… There’s tons of Americans who don’t have time or the ability or finances [to move to a legal state] and I don’t think that’s right or fair… I believe this choice is ethical, and what makes it ethical is it is a choice.”

Oct. 6, 2014