Brittany Maynard

When I learned that 29 year old Brittany Maynard, who was dying from brain cancer, legally took her own life, I commented to the news outlet that posted the article. The following is the letter I wrote. "These are definitely tough decisions to make. I was/am not in her shoes. I do/will not judge her. Life and death issues are so serious that we truly need to take a somber look at what we are doing. Death is a reality and there is no escaping it. A combat soldier, police officer, firefighter or anyone else who willingly enters a situation that is clearly dangerous to life and limb may be considered a true hero. Was this young woman a hero? I doubt that she considered herself one. She was a seriously ill, determined person who made a decision and carried it out. The big question, then, for us is: Would we do the same thing if we were in that situation? I know, most would say: “I’ll make that decision when I am confronted with that situation.” What will motivate the decision? Just sickness? Well……yes. But there is more to it than that."