Three weeks after Brittany Maynard’s voluntary death, the right-to-die advocate has one final message for the world.
Maynard chose to die rather than succumb to the horrific pain and suffering that was inevitable with her terminal cancer prognosis.
Even though it was Brittany Maynard’s choice, it was still controversial to members of the public.
“Death with Dignity” legislation remains a matter of debate, with some considering the decision to end one’s life prematurely immoral. There is also the argument that helping a person to terminate their own life for any reason is a highly unethical practice.
Maynard appears in a video that was recorded on August 2nd, pleading for Death with Dignity laws to be passed nationwide.
Said Maynard, “I hope for the sake of other American citizens all these people that I’m speaking to that I’ve never met, that I’ll never meet, that this choice be extended to you.”
In the video message released by her supporters, the right-to-die advocate admitted that she decided to share her personal struggle and ultimate death with the world because she “felt like this issue of death with dignity is misunderstood by many people”.
Instead of shying away from the topic of dying and deciding one’s right to die, Brittany Maynard hoped that seeing her journey would inspire a more open dialogue.
The video was released on what would have been her 30th birthday.
Brittany Maynard has one final thing she wants everyone to hear. http://t.co/QkTxId2XTV pic.twitter.com/vcbeQIuTE3
— Woman's Day (@WomansDay) November 22, 2014
In an interview with People magazine that she had no intention of living to see her 30th birthday.
“The idea of celebrating my 30th birthday is quite difficult because my life was moving forward in such a great way”, said Maynard. “and to get this diagnosis turns your whole life upside down.”
Instead, Brittany Maynard used her birthday to help launch a nationwide campaign for the choice to die with dignity.
Barbara Coombs Lee of right-to-die advocacy group Compassion & Choices had high praise for Maynard, who partnered with the organization prior to her death.
She said that Brittany’s work on behalf of death with dignity advocacy was “selfless” and that she “is the new voice for the movement”.