Readers React: ‘Death with dignity’ movement awakened by Brittany Maynard

To the editor: I had never considered the concept of “death with dignity” until I had a front row seat to the horror of death without dignity as my husband suffered beyond what any human should before dying of lung cancer just over a year ago. (“Brittany Maynard’s death not expected to galvanize end-of-life movement,” Nov. 3)

The last five months of his life were spent in hospitals, where he was tortured by ineffective chemotherapy, radiation, surgeries and narcotics. I lost count of the number of times he said, “I can’t do this anymore, I just want to die.” It was traumatizing for our daughter and me to watch him suffer. He looked like a corpse the last few weeks of his life.

Now, I strongly support every state giving terminal patients a choice to die with dignity. Thanks to and God bless Brittany Maynard for bringing this issue to the public’s attention.

Karen Shapiro, Stevenson Ranch

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To the editor: Whenever there is disagreement with a death with dignity law, the term “slippery slope” is used for potential abuse (although that didn’t happen in Oregon).

But as far as dying is concerned, there’s one slippery slope no one wants to consider. That’s the downward trajectory of disabilities, loss of functions, pain (and being drugged to control the pain), diapers, catheters, loss of cognitive function, the loss of control and, finally, the loss of dignity.

Which of these slippery slopes is more frightening?

Sid Adelman, Sherman Oaks

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