Brittany Maynard has decided that November 1 will be the last day of her life, and in doing so the 29-year-old cancer patient has sparked controversy and a nationwide debate over assisted suicide.
In April, Maynard was told by doctors that she had only six months to live. She was suffering from a malignant brain tumor that could not be treated, and opted instead to move with her husband to Oregon, where she is taking advantage of a new law that allows physicians to prescribe life-ending medication to terminal patients.
Maynard maintains that she is not committing suicide .
“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.”
Maynard continues, “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.”
But not everyone agrees with the decision. The Blaze columnist Matt Walsh wrote that he is dismayed to see such one-sided coverage, with Brittany Maynard widely referred to as “brave” for her decision to end her life.
He wrote:
Other supposedly unbiased publications have taken to substituting the word ‘euthanasia’ with the phrase ‘dying with dignity,’ which is what you might call doctor assisted suicide if you’re advocating for the practice, rather than reporting on it.
Across national media and social media, I’ve been sickened to see that suicide is now most commonly described with words like ‘dignity,’ ‘bravery,’ ‘courage,’ and ‘strength.’ Popular refrains apparently only ever used to justify some form of murder and destruction have been trotted out once again: ‘it’s her body,’ ‘it’s her choice,’ ‘it’s her life.’
While Brittany’s decisions and the coverage it has received may generate controversy, experts say it is also doing something else — bringing the debate about end of life rights to the forefront.
“[A] whole new generation is now looking at Brittany and wondering why their state does not permit physicians to prescribe lethal doses of drugs to the dying,” wrote Arthur L. Caplan, head of the Division of Bioethics at New York University Langone Medical Center. “Brittany is having and will have a big impact on the movement to get measures before voters or legislators.”
Whatever people think of her decision, Brittany Maynard will leave behind quite a legacy, Caplan wrote.
[Image via People ]