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Death with Dignity

In: English and Literature

Submitted By crazyme2207
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Scheduling Death with Dignity
In Lindsey Bever article “ Cancer patient Brittany Maynard, 29, has scheduled her death for Nov 1” published by Washington Post on October 8, discusses some of the many problems the terminally ill patients go through during the final stages of their life. Everything in life is planned and scheduled by man, but the author reminds us of how uncertain “death” is in every person’s life, and how it can affect thyself and all the other people who surround them. Bever explains Brittany’s current illness position and how she battles her brain cancer with her own dying terms. Her argumentative point in this article is whether people should have the right to choose when they die? And she points out various options and sacrifice’s Brittany or any terminally ill patients have to make and face when they are diagnosed with extreme mortal diseases.
Brittany was diagnosed with Brain Cancer on New Year ’s Day and nine days later she was performed with a surgery and given 10 years to live. But then in April again, doctors saw that her tumor had returned and that she had reached stage 4 in her brain tumor. And the result was grave, only six more months to live. At this point of time in her life, Brittany wrote to CNN stating that she is been on medication for weeks, and that she is tried all the possible treatment that is currently available, but nothing seems to be working on her illness. Doctors explained her options but none would save her life. She wrote her options to CNN in her op-ed, describing the first option to be a full brain radiation, but that could have a lot of side effects like first degree burns on her hair scalp. The second option she looked into was hospice care, but that also had no guarantee, as she had the ability to lose her speech or her own body. After looking into all the options and research, Brittany and her family came to a heartbreaking understanding, that there is no treatment that would save her life and that all the recommended treatments would take her time and life.
This is when Brittany chooses doctor assisted death, and stated that she is not suicidal, and that she was dying and she wanted to die on her own terms. As Brittany was living with her husband in San Francisco, California she did qualify for a physician assisted death in Oregon, one of the few states where it permits Death with Dignity Act. California does not have a law for terminally ill patients to end their life, hence Brittany moved to Oregon earlier this year with her family. The sacrifices involved, finding a new home, new physicians, change of driver’s license and voter registration. Her husband had to take leave of absence from work. She writes” There are tons of Americans who don’t have time or the ability or finances and I don’t think that right or fair”, and is using her last days to help others in similar situations. Her husband also feels and states in one of her campaign video that, “ Death with dignity allows for people who are in the predicament of facing a lot of suffering that they can decide when enough is enough.” Looking at what Brittany had to go through with her illness I feel she made a well thought out choice and informed choice to Die With Dignity in the face of such a terrible, painful, and incurable illness. Some people have cited moral and religious concerns, while others say, patients will use this route to kill their mental anguish, but I don’t think so. Brittany states, "Not everybody has to agree that it's the right thing, because they don't have to do it. And it's an option that for me has provided a lot of relief, because the way that my brain cancer would take me organically is very terrible. It's a horrible way to die. The thought that I can spare myself the physical and emotional lengthy pain of that, as well as my family, is a huge relief." These words by Brittany were very realistic and made me be on her side of the thinking coin. Her point being, “Who has the right to tell her that she don't deserve this choice? That she deserves to suffer for weeks or months in tremendous amounts of physical and emotional pain? Why should anyone have the right to make that choice for her? It is a choice for an individual human, and that he/she has the freedom and the right to choose how they want to live or die. Having this kind of choice gives the patient, sense of peace during hard time that otherwise would be dominated by fear, uncertainty and pain. She plans to celebrate her husband’s birthday, and then take the prescription pill when her family and loved ones are around. All in all I think she made a well thought out decision on her life and how she wants to route it depending on her current standing and surroundings. I wish her soul, rest in peace and her family the strength to move ahead in life.

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