October 14, 2014
Current Events
Brittany Maynard is 29-years-old and in some circles, still considered a newlywed. Brittany Maynard is also terminally ill.
Shortly after her wedding in 2013, Brittany began experiencing debilitating headaches. While on vacation with her husband in January of this year, Brittany was diagnosed with grade II Astrocytoma, a severe brain tumor. According to doctors, she had only 10 years left to live.
However, not long after the original diagnosis, doctors informed her that her cancer had progressed to Glioblastoma multiforme, the deadliest form of brain cancer. Even with radical treatment, her life expectancy was now drastically reduced to only 14 months.
“I have to tell you,” she admitted in a video for The Brittany Maynard Fund, “when you’re 29 years old, being told you have that kind of timeline still feels like being told you’re going to die tomorrow.”
When doctors told Brittany her death would likely be slow and painful as the tumor continued to grow, she didn’t slip into a depressive state waiting for the inevitable. She decided to be in control of her own ending.
Brittany will celebrate her husband’s birthday on October 30th. Then on November 1st, surrounded by her husband, mother and best friend, she will end her life using medication prescribed by her doctor. As a resident of the State of Oregon, she was given the green light for the state’s death-with-dignity” law.
Current Events
Although the medication will provide her a “peaceful and painless” ending to her life, Brittany was quick to point out that she is not committing suicide.
“There is not a cell in my body that is suicidal or that wants to die,” Brittany told People.com. “I want to live. I wish there was a cure for my disease but there’s not. … Being able to choose to go with dignity is less terrifying.”
I'll be honest…. Coming from the religious family background I come from, there was a time when suicide under ANY and ALL circumstances was out of the question as far as I was concerned. Suffice it to say that THAT was before I grew up…I mean really grew up! Before I witnessed the slow and quite painful process of death visited upon a few of my loved-ones (people dear to my heart) and in one case having a close friend beg me to help her end it all, as cancer gradually spread from her liver throughout her body. She was in her mid 30s. I was in my late 20s In all cases, I was completely Helpless. All I could do was cry and beg the God I serve to PLEASE be merciful. PLEASE stop their suffering and give them Rest. I would hope that when my time comes, if… Read more »