How one ALS patient chose to use California's aid-in-dying law
A freelance reporter writing in the San Diego Union-Tribune followed her sister’s use of California’s new aid-in-dying law to end her life, including throwing a “going away” party with family and friends.
Betsy Davis was diagnosed with ALS in 2013. Her sister, Kelly, wrote that she once asked about virtual currency like Bitcoin to try to illegally obtain a lethal amount of drugs rather than await a death by suffocation.
“I am losing strength in my arms and hands quickly,” Betsy wrote to her sister in 2015. “I don’t want to live out my life paralyzed, eating through a tube in my stomach and communicating through a machine. I’d rather be free than entombed in my body.”
Once California’s aid-in-dying law went into effect, Betsy organized a two-day party at her house with only one rule for her 30 guests: no crying.
“You are all very brave for sending me off on my journey,” she wrote in an email. “Thank you so much for traveling the physical and emotional distance for me. These circumstances are unlike any party you have attended before, requiring emotional stamina, centeredness and openness.”
For more on Betsy’s story, and some of the difficulties she experienced obtaining the recommended drugs from pharmacists, click on the link below:
John joined TriMed in 2016, focusing on healthcare policy and regulation. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, he worked at FM News Chicago and Rivet News Radio, and worked on the state government and politics beat for the Illinois Radio Network. Outside of work, you may find him adding to his never-ending graphic novel collection.