Brittany Maynard, the 29-year-old woman with terminal brain cancer,
says she's ready to die in peace.
In this week's People magazine cover story, Maynard opens up about her controversial
decision to willingly ingest lethal medication that will end the pain and
suffering wrought by her lethal brain tumor.
"My (cancer) is going to kill me, and it's a terrible, terrible
way to die," she told the magazine. "So to be able to die with my
family with me, to have control of my own mind, which I would stand to
lose — to go with dignity is less terrifying."
On Jan. 2, doctors discovered the headaches Maynard had been
having were actually being caused by a brain tumor. They removed part of
the tumor and gave her three to five years to live. But two months later it
grew back aggressively, and the doctors suspected a glioblastoma, the deadliest
type of brain cancer. They then gave her six months to live.
Maynard and her family — including mother Debbie Ziegler and new
husband Dan Diaz — searched feverishly for a miracle cure but came up
empty-handed. However, Maynard did find "death with dignity" laws
that allow for prescribed lethal medication to end a terminal patient's life.
"It made sense to me," Maynard said.
In the spring, Maynard and her family moved from California to Oregon
to take advantage of Oregon's law. The four other states with such laws are
Vermont, Montana, Washington and New Mexico.
Earlier this month, she released a six-minute video about her decision
for right-to-death advocacy group Compassion & Choices. The clip has had 7
million views.
It's a brutally unexpected life turn for Maynard, a former teacher who
was just married and trying for a baby at the time of her diagnosis. Her
husband, mother and stepfather support her decision, though it hasn't been
easy, Diaz and Ziegler told the magazine.
Maynard has chosen Nov. 1 as the day she will probably go. It's right
after her husband's birthday and before her 30th birthday.
She will die in her bed, with her husband, mother, stepfather and best
friend around her, "surrounded by love," she said.
If she feels OK on Nov. 1, she may hold off. But her condition
continues to worsen. Every day, Maynard has a headache, and sometimes she has
seizures, which leave her talking gibberish for 10 minutes afterwards.
She said her choice might not be right for everyone, but that it's hers
and hers alone.
"Who thinks they have the right to tell me that I don't deserve
this choice? That I deserve to suffer for weeks or months in tremendous amounts
of physical pain?"
Opponents of right-to-die laws say they think they have the potential
to be abused.
The adventurous Maynard — who has traveled to Ecuador,
Patagonia and Mount Kilimanjaro — is spending her final days out hiking
with her family and visiting with friends. She's still hoping to make a trip
out to the Grand Canyon. She's begun to give possessions away and has Christmas
presents wrapped and ready upstairs.
She's asked her mom and stepdad to visit Machu Picchu in Peru
after she goes, because "she knows if we can feel her, it will be
there," Ziegler told People of the "sacred spiritual
domain."
She's also told Diaz that she wants him "to find joy" after
she's gone, "and (to) please take care of my dogs."
"I know I'm going to be heartbroken," Diaz told the magazine. "But to dwell on that today means
I'd ruin today. I just want to be with Brittany and enjoy our time now."
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