Brittany Maynard, The Face Of 'Right-To-Die' Movement, Takes Her Own Life: Why Death With Dignity Is A Good Thing
Brittany Maynard, the voice of the right-to-die movement, passed away on Saturday in the manner that she wanted to: “peacefully in her bedroom, in the arms of her loved ones.” Maynard’s choice to take her own life after being diagnosed with brain cancer at the beginning of this year was authorized under the Oregon Death With Dignity Act.
"Goodbye to all my dear friends and family that I love. Today is the day I have chosen to pass away with dignity in the face of my terminal illness, this terrible brain cancer that has taken so much from me … but would have taken so much more," she said on Facebook.
This past New Year’s Day Maynard was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma, terminal brain cancer with no cure, and was told she would have around six months to live. With no intentions of having her disease control her life, she decided that her passing would be on her own terms and not the terms of her condition. She became involved with Compassion & Choices, a nonprofit organization working to further the right-to-die initiative.
“Brittany has died, but her love of life and nature, her passion and spirit endure,” Compassion & Choices President Barbara Coombs Lee said in a statement. “In Brittany’s memory, do what matters most. And tell those you love how much they matter to you. We will work to carry on her legacy of bringing end-of-life choice to all Americans.”
At the time of her diagnosis Maynard was living in California with her husband, mother, and stepfather. She and her family relocated to Oregon, where her decision to take her own life is legal. Death with dignity laws have also been passed in Washington, Montana, Vermont, and New Mexico. Proving that her fatal diagnosis would not control how she lived her life, Maynard completed several items on her “bucket list,” which included trips to Alaska, British Columbia, Yellowstone National Park, Olympic National Park, and a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon.
After suffering her “worst seizure” the morning of Oct. 22, Maynard began to make her final arrangements before ending her life. Part of her plans included asking her family to carry on her work with the right-to-die movement. On Saturday, Nov. 1, she gathered her friends and family to her home in Portland before taking a fatal dose of barbiturates that were prescribed by a doctor. She was 29 years old.
"The world is a beautiful place, travel has been my greatest teacher, my close friends and folks are the greatest givers. I even have a ring of support around my bed as I type," Maynard added. "Goodbye world. Spread good energy. Pay it forward!"