We are called to face suffering with courage, especially during the dying process:
If my mom had made the same decision that Brittany Maynard did to end her life earlier, we would have missed out on so much.
My mother was diagnosed last year with a grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme brain tumor, the same diagnosis that Brittany Maynard, the 29 year old who ended her life Nov. 1 after launching a national campaign to promote laws that allowed people with terminal diseases to choose the time of their deaths, received earlier this year.
Doctors said that my mom would have 15 months to live if she was lucky. It has now been 21 months since her diagnosis and she is still alive.
Has it been tough? Yes, absolutely: In the time since her diagnosis, my mom has undergone two brain surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation.
But we’ve also had incredible experiences. In the past 21 months we went to Paris, walked a 5k for brain cancer awareness, and celebrated birthdays and holidays. My mom was here to see me get accepted into law school.
Brittany had stated that she did not want her family and friends to see her suffer, to see her at her worst. Well, I’ve now seen my mother at her worst–and I will tell you that’s still not comparable to not having her here at all.
Many people have praised Brittany Maynard, calling her brave and courageous. We have even described her death via medication as “dying with dignity.”
But what about people like my mom? How about the individual who chooses to fight knowing all the consequences that he or she could face?
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