Testimony in Support of SB 1129, Hawaii Death with Dignity Act
February 15, 2017
By Mary Uyeda, resident of Hilo, HI * Not all deaths are alike. During my 30 years of bedside nursing in Intensive Care, I have personally witnessed a wide range of deaths from perfectly peaceful to prolonged agony,…
In Memoriam: Rebecca VanWormer
January 20, 2017
We were extremely saddened to learn of the death of Rebecca VanWormer, a passionate advocate for assisted dying legislation in her home state of Maine. She was 43. Rebecca VanWormer with her dogs Buster and Kal-El at…
In Memoriam: Jenny “Coopdizzle” Cooper (1982-2016)
December 21, 2016
It was with great sadness that we learned of the death on December 1, of Jenny “Coopdizzle” Cooper, a friend of our organization who advocated for end-of-life options in Texas. According to her husband, she died…
Author Deborah Ziegler Visits Portland on Book Tour for Wild and Precious Life
November 16, 2016
Last Monday we were honored to host Deborah Ziegler at a reception in Portland, Oregon, where the Death with Dignity National Center is headquartered. Together with local board members, staff, and supporters, we heard Deborah tell the story of how…
A Review of Wisdom from a Chair: Thirty Years of Quadruplegia
July 29, 2016
If you pay attention to the debates about death with dignity, be it in state legislative hearings, in the media, or online, you would be hard-pressed to avoid thinking that people with disabilities oppose assisted dying. You would be far…
Local Advocate Spotlight: Valerie Lovelace, Maine
February 3, 2016
Last year, Maine came closer than ever to having a Death with Dignity statute. The Maine House passed LD 1270, An Act Regarding Patient-directed Care at the End of Life, with a vote of 76 to…
In Memoriam: Penny Shelfer
December 9, 2015
Following the deaths, in October and November, of three of our friends and Death with Dignity advocates who had been terminally ill for some time (Dick Walters, Dr. Peter Rasmussen, and John Duncan), the tragic death of…
In Memoriam: John Duncan (1949-2015)
November 18, 2015
For the third time in a month we mourn the death of a dear friend and colleague. Our former executive director John Duncan died at home in Wilsonville, Oregon, on November 13. He was surrounded by his wife Susie Stevens,…
In Memoriam: Dr. Peter Rasmussen, MD (1945-2015)
November 4, 2015
By George Eighmey, President of Death with Dignity National Center. * It was with a heavy heart that I learned yesterday of the death of another staunch advocate for Death with Dignity and friend of our organization, Dr.
In Memoriam: Dick Walters (1925-2015)
October 17, 2015
Our dear friend, Dick Walters used the Vermont Patient Choice and Control at End of Life Act to die peacefully on October 16th. Dick’s tireless advocacy and dedication to personal freedom were instrumental in getting the law passed in 2013.