“My husband had only hours to live,” says Jayne. “There was no personal space for us to spend our time together.” He would wake up in agony waiting for the painkillers to kick in again. The hospital staff told her that him coming home with her wasn’t an option as it would take too much organizing. And that is the story of how Bernard passed away: bed-bound, confused, heavily sedated, and in a lot of pain. He died in the exact opposite way that anyone would choose to die and this shouldn’t be the forced standard. Someone with such a medical condition or illness that will lead to suffering and the loss of his or her independence who wishes to end his or her life should have the right to do so legally with the help of a medical professional.
…show more content…
Many terminally ill patients feel an immense loss of dignity because his or her abilities are increasingly limited as illness takes over. Having control over his or her own death is a way to take their dignity and independence back. Even ignoring the loss of dignity and independence, illness, especially terminal illness, is terrifying and traumatic. Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old women with brain cancer who opted to take advantage of Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act in 2014, discussed having lost her ability to speak for a few hours after two seizures, calling it “scary, very frightening.” Maynard was likely to have died a horrible, awful death had she and her family not moved to Oregon, but instead she passed away comfortably in the bedroom she and her husband share, surrounded by the people she loves. Because of the Death with Dignity Act, she was able to make the choice that best fit her wishes. Everyone should be given that same opportunity to die by their own terms in the most comfortable and contented way
Many terminally ill patients feel an immense loss of dignity because his or her abilities are increasingly limited as illness takes over. Having control over his or her own death is a way to take their dignity and independence back. Even ignoring the loss of dignity and independence, illness, especially terminal illness, is terrifying and traumatic. Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old women with brain cancer who opted to take advantage of Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act in 2014, discussed having lost her ability to speak for a few hours after two seizures, calling it “scary, very frightening.” Maynard was likely to have died a horrible, awful death had she and her family not moved to Oregon, but instead she passed away comfortably in the bedroom she and her husband share, surrounded by the people she loves. Because of the Death with Dignity Act, she was able to make the choice that best fit her wishes. Everyone should be given that same opportunity to die by their own terms in the most comfortable and contented way