Death on My Own Terms — Medical Aid in Dying

I was sitting with my mother when she passed. It was not the kind of death I would have wished for her. She was under palliative sedation, which took away all opportunities to have those final words, those final goodbyes. She seemed without pain, which was a blessing, but it was not easy to watch.

I often thought about how much suffering we let our loved ones go through at the end of life. It is painful for the one passing, but just as hard for the loved ones standing by helplessly watching and wishing they could make the suffering go away.

We don’t let our pets suffer. We call the vet and make an informed decision to spare them from unnecessary pain. Why can’t we do this for our loved ones? It seems barbaric at times because not everyone has the blessing of an easy death.

Years ago, I heard the story of Brittany Maynard, a young woman who at 29 years of age faced a terminal diagnosis and made headlines by choosing Medical Aid in Dying. She captured my heart with her beauty, her bravery in standing up for her decision and in advocating for others. With the time she had left, she advocated for the legalization of Medical Aid in Dying, which at that point was only available in four states.

Her story touched me deeply, and that is why I am even more excited about this interview.

In today’s episode, I am speaking with Dan Diaz, Brittany’s husband, who carries on her legacy in advocating for legalization of Medical Aid in Dying. And we are joined by Brandi Alexander, one of his colleagues at Compassion and Choices, a wonderful organization that carries forward the mission of expanding end-of-life care options for everyone by going straight to the top and advocating for changes on a federal level.

We will talk about Brittany and her legacy and have a closer look at Medical Aid in Dying and how words like “euthanasia” and “physician assisted suicide” are often stigmatized and weaponized by its opponents.

I really hope this episode reaches a lot of people and opens up conversations at your dinner table, among friends and family, about your own life choices.