Cancer Patient, Brittany Maynard Ends Own Life

Brittany Maynard chose to end her own life.

 
The 29-year old has made head lines over the past few months for taking advantage of Oregon's Death with Dignity Act, which allows one to take a fatal dose of barbiturates (prescribed by a doctor) in the case of a life-threatening disease.

Maynard was told by physicians last spring that she had Stage 4 glioblastoma and would likely pass away within six months.

Wrote Maynard in a Facebook post before making her fatal decision:
"Goodbye to all my dear friends and family that I love. Today is the day I have chosen to pass away with dignity in the face of my terminal illness, this terrible brain cancer that has taken so much from me … but would have taken so much more.
"The world is a beautiful place, travel has been my greatest teacher, my close friends and folks are the greatest givers. I even have a ring of support around my bed as I type … Goodbye world. Spread good energy. Pay it forward!"

On October 6, Maynard launched an online video campaign with Compassion & Choices, an end-of-life choice advocacy organization, to fight for expanding death with dignity laws around the country.
Maynard spent the final months traveling to Alaska, British Colombia and Yellowstone National Park with her loved ones.

"For me what matters most is the way I'm remembered by my family and my husband as a good woman who did my best to be a good wife and a good daughter," Maynard Told People last month, adding:

"Beyond that, getting involved with this campaign, I hope to be making a difference here. If I'm leaving a legacy, it's to change this health-care policy or be a part of this change of this health care policy so it becomes available to all Americans. That would be an enormous contribution to make, even if I'm just a piece of it."