Woman’s move to Oregon to die revives debate

A 29-year-old former California woman’s decision to move to Oregon and take her life with the assistance of doctors has gone viral — reinvigorating a nationwide debate over the right to die.

“I will die upstairs in my bedroom that I share with my husband, with my mother and husband by my side… and pass peacefully,” Brittany Maynard said in a video recently published by aided-dying advocacy group Compassionate Choices.

Since then, her wish has been heard across the country. Maynard has chosen to use her last days to support the campaign in hopes the choice will become available for more Americans.

“I can’t even tell you the amount of relief it provides me to know that I don’t have to die the way that’s been described to me that my brain tumor would take me,” Maynard said.

The San Francisco resident recently moved to Oregon to participate in the law where she’s decided to end her life on Nov. 1st. The act is only legal in five states.

Oregon’s law is called the Death with Dignity Act.

Since voters approved it in 1997, fewer than 1200 Oregonians have been issued prescriptions for deadly doses and about 750 have chosen to take the medication and died.

In the region east of the Cascades, which includes Central Oregon, 54 people have died with that aid.

“It allows qualified patients to ask their own physician for a prescription,” said Oregon Health Authority State Health Officer Dr. Katrina Hedberg. “And then (it’s) up to that physician to decide whether they want to write a prescription or not — and there needs to be two physicians.”

To qualify, Oregon patients must be over the age of 18, terminally ill with six months or less to live, and capable of communicating and understanding the health choice.

Both patients and their doctors must fill out forms and submit them to the Oregon Health Authority for statistical and tracking purposes. Any Oregon licensed doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathy can participate.

Last year, 52 Oregon doctors wrote 122 prescriptions.

Hedberg said most patients who participate are senior citizens with cancer. Maynard will be among the youngest to choose her early death.

“The reason to consider life and what’s of value is to make sure you’re not missing out,” Maynard said. “Seize the day. What do you care about? What’s important to you? What matters?”

To learn more about Maynard’s cause or to watch her video in its entirety, you can visit her webpage here: http://www.thebrittanyfund.org/. The Death With Dignity Act is also the topic of our latest KTVZ.COM Poll, which you can find halfway down the right side of our Website’s home page.