Many people join the death with dignity movement because they have a personal connection to the issue. Most often, we hear from individuals who have lost a loved one to a terminal illness. Occasionally, we hear from the loved ones of people who used a death with dignity law to die on their own terms. Their personal stories inform their support of medical aid in dying and inspire us to continue working toward the day when all terminally ill Americans have the right to decide how they die.
Do you have a death with dignity story to tell? Please share it with us.
Daniel Bubb: The Humane Thing to Do
Daniel Bubb’s father died of pancreatic cancer in 2016. Earlier this year, he wrote his legislators in Nevada asking them to support Senate Bill 165, a death with dignity bill. In Dan’s words, “I felt compelled to speak out in favor of an end-of-life option that would have eased his suffering, and could do the same for terminally ill, mentally capable patients like him.”
Daniel Bubb’s father, Ken.
Matt DeVey: One Last Decision
Bob DeVey wanted to die with dignity. Because he lived in South Carolina, which does not have an assisted-dying law, he had no option to relieve his suffering as he was dying of mesothelioma. His son, Matt, reached out to us to share the story of his father’s persistent advocacy for death with dignity, even in his final days. “Now that he’s gone,” Matt says, “it’s up to me and his loved ones to carry his legacy forward. I have chosen to do so by advocating for the end-of-life option Dad wanted so badly but could not access.”
Matt DeVey (at right) with his father, Bob (second from left) and family.
Michael Edberg: My Daughter’s Courage
When Christine Whaley used California’s End of Life Option Act to die painlessly after nearly seven years of living with melanoma, her father, Michael Edberg, praised her for her courage in using and advocating for the law. “As I reflected on her life and her final crusade to access and advocate for death with dignity,” Michael says, “I realized I felt very strongly that everybody should have this end-of-life option should they find themselves facing a terminal illness like Christine.”
Michael Edberg and Christine Whaley in their kitchen
What’s Your Story?
We want to hear from you: Do you have a death with dignity story? What inspired you to get involved in the cause? What does death with dignity mean to you? Get in touch and share your story here.
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