The name of the beautiful woman from the picture above is Brittany Maynard and she is a 29 years old woman who suffers from terminal brain cancer. She got married on September 2012 only to be diagnosticated a year and four months later with stage 4 glioblastoma, a malignant brain tumor. She had it removed with surgery only to be told 3 months later than the tumor had grown even larger and that she had at best 6 months to live. Brittany has spent the better part of her life on countless adventures like running half marathons, traveling Southeast Asia and even climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. This being said is not surprising when she decided she wanted to end her life the same way. After being told that she had so little time, how the treatment would affect her and how she would die; she weighted her option and decided that she wanted to die with dignity. She decided she wanted to apply to Death with Dignity Act. Brittany and her family reluctantly decided to move from their San Francisco Bay Area home to Oregon. The amount of sacrifice and change my family had to go through in order to get me to legal access to death with dignity – changing our residency, establishing a team of doctors, having a place to live – was profound," she says. "There's tons of Americans who don’t have time or the ability or finances," she says, "and I don't think that's right or fair."
"I believe this choice is ethical, and what makes it ethical is it is a choice," she says. "The patient can change their mind right up to the last minute. I feel very protected here in Oregon."
Oregon is one of five states (including Washington, Montana, Vermont and New Mexico) that authorize death with dignity. “I’m dying, but I’m choosing to suffer less. To put myself through less physical and emotional pain and my family as well.” Even though her decision is made she wants to make clear that she is not suicidal. "There is not a cell in my body that is suicidal or that wants to die," she tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview. "I want to live. I wish there was a cure for my disease but there's not. My glioblastoma is going to kill me, and that's out of my control," she says. "I've discussed with many experts how I would die from it, and it's a terrible, terrible way to die. Being able to choose to go with dignity is less terrifying."
Brittany Maynard believed in her choice, that's why in the few weeks she has left to live, Brittany wants to advocate for access for death with dignity.
Here is a video of Brittany talking about her decision:
I would like to know your opinions on Death with Dignity Act and whether you think she made or not the right choice. Leave in your comments your opinions.