Brittany Maynard ended her life by suicide on November 1, 2014. She was suffering from a rare form of terminal brain cancer and the doctors told her she had little time to live. She chose to live out her life “On her terms.” There are many I’ve heard who agree with her decision, but not near as many are vocal in their disagreement. Consider a few other perspectives…
First, a man who had the same cancer as Mrs. Maynard with the same prognosis… and has lived 13 more years (As of 11/3/14).
Did you hear about Lauren Hill who with brain cancer who chose to play college basketball as long as she could?
Next, consider Joni Tada who has been a quadriplegic for decades and what she has written to Brittany.
Then there is the example many remember of “Little Joe” from Bonanza who fought pancreatic cancer… Michael Landon.
Last, and probably best for believers, is a good word from Desiring God about the right to life and the wrong of suicide in situations such as Mrs. Maynard.
NOT choosing suicide is also living out life on a person’s own terms. There is a difference between a life ending as God’s providence wills and a life being ended by a person’s own hand. At some point we will all have to face death… till then we live to glorify God. I know there are many ethical issues surrounding this topic and I know I haven’t walked in those shoes (Yet). So when my time does come as it inevitably will, I pray that I will honor God as best I can. Sadly, I do not think that Mrs. Maynard honored God by taking her own life.
I may not agree with Mrs. Maynards decision but I can understand it. I went to work for the Al state troopers in May 1993 in July a young man also came to work for them. He had no family both parents had died from brain cancer. He was retired from the military. He was divorced, no children, siblings and no wife. We had worked together for about ten years when he got sick. Us girls just took over trying to make sure he had someone to drive him to treatments. We donated sick leave, we took him to treatments, our husbands and off duty troopers took turns taking care of him. His ex wife moved him in with her so she could take care of him. He suffered so much. Becky and I went to the nursing home he was in to see him. I told Becky as we drove back that he would not live through the night. He died shortly after midnight. To see such drastic changes in him as Cancer ate away his brain, made me stop and ask myself if faced with the same thing could I go through what he had endured. I still don’t know what I would do. But Tony was brave to the end but he was in so much pain.