Book Description

The concept of a “good death” has been debated since the beginning of civilization. In the 21st Century, longer lifespans and advances in medicine have resulted in new legislation regarding an individual’s “right to die.” The option to end one’s own life, when pain becomes intolerable or the quality of life is nonexistent, is an issue at the forefront of modern society. Who among us would trade places with a patient, dependent on machines and other people, for every aspect of their life? Who among us wouldn’t choose doctor-assisted death, if that option were available? During the last two decades, the states of Oregon, Washington, and Montana passed euthanasia legislation, and in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, similar end-of-life regulations were authorized. However, in 2012, two court cases examining physician-assisted death could lead to new international precedents: Gloria Taylor, who suffered from Lou Gehrig’s disease, became the first person in Canada to be granted the “right to die” via a “personal exemption” by British Columbia’s Supreme Court; in Britain, Tony Nicklinson, who suffered from “locked-in syndrome” and could only communicate by blinking, died from pneumonia after refusing food and fluids subsequent to a High Court decision that refused to grant him assisted death. In this age of medical technology, of machines sustaining lives irrespective of quality of life and dignity, we often discount the concept of a “good death.” Allowing terminally ill people to pass on quickly and peacefully does not encroach on the civil liberties of others. Euthanasia legislation allows patients to operate within the medical system and ease their anxiety, while giving friends and family peace of mind. Assessing the quality of life, and allowing patients who suffer from debilitating pain and dependence on others to gently leave this life, gives people a dignified alternative. Read To Gently Leave This Life to learn what you need to know about end-of-life decisions. To Gently Leave This Life is the perfect reference book for the grassroots activist, legislator, and for people who are dealing with their own or a loved one’s terminal illness.