KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The 29-year-old advocate for “death with dignity,” Brittany Maynard, ended her life, which has reignited the debate over the issue.
“I don’t think it’s fair to ever suggest that it’s always one way or the other,” said John Carney, the President and CEO for the Center for Practical Bioethics.
He says not everybody sees the hot topic of “death with dignity” the same way.
“Regardless of how we all think about it, whether you agree with the decision or not, she did it in a place in the United States where it’s OK to do,” added Carney.
Maynard, who was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, took medication and ended her life under Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act, one of only three states which allow it.
“All human life is sacred,” said Bill Francis, the Director of Respect Life and Human Rights Offices in the Kansas City Catholic Diocese.
He says her situation was very difficult, but says ending life early goes against what the Catholic Church teaches.
“Everyone has a choice, I mean, God gives us the gift of free will and human reasons to make those decisions, that’s why we have evil in the world, but I think our lives are a gift, and we need to respect that,” said Francis.
Elaine McIntosh, the president and CEO of Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care, has been with the organization for 22 years. She says it’s common for patients facing a terminal illness to think about death.
“We need to really understand how sensitive and sacred this period of life is, and to make certain as a community and a society that we support people as they go through this,” McIntosh said.
Hospice focuses on lessening suffering in hopes those thoughts to end life prematurely fade.
“Our job is not to judge that, or to condemn that, but to allow the patient to sort of give rise to their thoughts about it,” added McIntosh.
Despite ending your life with the assistance of a physician being illegal in both Kansas and Missouri, Dr. Jay Riseman says it’s possible because of Maynard’s public story, patients will ask about it more often.
“They’re going to say well what about me?” said Dr. Riseman. “Can’t I do that doctor?”
He feels Maynard had other options besides ending her life early.
“Most of the time with good medication management, we can make people comfortable. I don’t know if she even entertained hospice, but I think hospice could have helped her be comfortable with what was happening to her as well,” said Dr. Riseman.
Carney says you have to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes before making these decisions.
“I would really hesitate to suggest that anyone can tell you they will always feel the same way about facing a terminal illness with the certainty that they have at one particular stage in their life without the illness, than they do when they have it,” said Carney.
Dr. Riseman says not all physicians have to offer those services in states where it is legal. Oregon, Washington and Vermont are the three states that have passed the Death with Dignity Act.
