A Few Thoughts on Brittany Maynard
As I write this, Brittany Maynard is living the last few weeks of her young life. She’s 29 years old- just a year younger than me, so reading about her story has hit close to home for me. I don’t pretend that my words on this blog are profound, so for those that haven’t read about Brittany or seen her story on the news; you can read a wonderful piece on her journey about it here.
If you didn’t click the link, here's the gist of her story. This year, after experiencing a bout of intense headaches, Brittany sought a medical diagnosis for her headaches only to find out that she had Glioblastoma multiforme. Glioblastoma multiforme is a form of brain cancer which, from everything I can gather, is one of the most common, yet also most aggressive forms of brain cancer. Shortly after the initial diagnosis, Brittany’s doctors informed her that the disease had spread to Stage 4. She was given only months to live. So, she moved to Oregon with her family- one of only five states in the US that permits "assisted suicide". For those unfamiliar, assisted suicide, specifically Oregon's law, the Death with Dignity Act, permits patients with terminal illnesses, in consultation with their medical team, to obtain a barbiturate prescription that essentially shuts down an individual's vital systems, letting them pass peacefully on their own terms and at a time of their choosing. Brittany, though what I can only imagine was no easy decision decided that she would seek out such a prescription in order to have the option to dictate the direction of the time she did have left.
After discussions with family, Brittany set November 1, 2014 as the date on which she would retreat to her bedroom with close family by her side, take her prescription, and pass peacefully on her own terms.
If there’s one common theme that I feel like I always read about with individuals like Brittany presented with such a grim outlook of their reminder of time on this earth is the incredible resolve and courage that they show. It’s an impossible task for anyone that hasn’t been forced to face their mortality in a way like Brittany has to even begin to understand the incredible resolve it must take to face that news with your head held high, but from every indication, including videos on Youtube, Brittany is doing just that.
Her story has really made me think about two things. As an estate planning attorney, Brittany’s story was a reminder to me that we just don’t know when our number will be called. We hope to live long and fulfilling lives, but sometimes that’s not in the cards. For me from a professional standpoint, it reminds me that I do what I do for a reason, and that’s to help give people some control over something that is so uncontrollable and unpredictable.
For those that don’t know me personally, as I mentioned, I’m only 30. I feel like I still have my entire life ahead of me. If I had my way, I would live to 100. But, stories like Brittany’s remind me that we don’t get to make that decision. The most we can do is hope that we’re as courageous as her in the face of something so incomprehensible. Her story has reminded me that living each day to the fullest, while sounding so cliché is really something that we should all strive for. It shouldn’t take a life-altering event or tragic diagnosis for us to live life on our terms, even to the very end.
To learn more about Brittany and her story, visit http://www.thebrittanyfund.org/
