Writer Chronicles Sister’s Use Of California’s New Aid-In-Dying Law
Betsy Davis' last celebration had only one rule: There would be no crying in front of her.
San Diego Union Tribune:
'I’d Rather Be Free Than Entombed In My Body': One ALS Patient's Choice To Employ End-Of-Life Law
Last August, my sister Betsy asked if I knew anything about using bitcoin, a form of virtual currency. It took me a while to realize why she was asking: She wanted to buy a lethal amount of drugs and she didn’t want the purchase to be traceable. Betsy was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in July 2013. It’s a cruel disease that slowly robs a person of the ability to move, speak, eat and, eventually, breathe. There is no treatment, let alone a cure, and there probably won’t be for several years. (Davis, 8/15)
Meanwhile, voters in Colorado will decide on an aid-in-dying initiative in November —
The Associated Press:
Colorado Voters To Consider Suicide Drugs For Terminally Ill
Colorado voters this fall will decide whether terminally ill people should be allowed to receive prescriptions for drugs to end their own lives. The "Medical Aid in Dying" measure was certified Monday as having enough petition signatures to make ballots this fall. Five other states have some law allowing the terminally ill to end their lives. (Wyatt, 8/16)
The Denver Post:
Aid-In-Dying Measure Makes Colorado Ballot For November
Colorado voters will decide in November whether a terminally ill adult should be allowed to take a prescribed drug to cause his or her death. If voters pass Initiative 145, Colorado would become the sixth state to authorize some type of end-of-life option for the terminally ill. ... The initiative requires anyone exercising the option to be at least 18 years old, have a terminal illness with less than six months to live and be able to self-administer the drugs that cause death. (Bunch, 8/15)
