Varipapa: Commentary about end-of-life law ‘misguided’

Moira Sheridan’s recent Opinion (“End-of-life law needs veto, further consideration”) is misguided and leaves out key facts and requirements of the proposed law, House Bill 140.

As a physician who has practiced medicine in Delaware for over 35 years, caring for innumerable patients with terminal illnesses, I say to Sheridan: It is disrespectful and irresponsible to flippantly characterize these people as wanting to “kill themselves” in response to their terminal diagnoses. It is ultimately their terminal disease or condition taking their lives, not themselves. These patients want to keep living.

Sick people in their final moments of life deserve compassion and the utmost respect for how they wish to handle their end-of-life care in line with their own values and beliefs.

Here are the facts: HB 140 would allow terminally ill adults of sound mind who have six months or less to live, as determined by two medical providers, the option to receive medication they could ingest for a peaceful death. These basic safeguards exist in all medical aid-in-dying laws nationwide, both current and proposed. No caregiver, guardian or health care proxy could make a request on behalf of the patient. The dying individual must be able to give informed consent of their own volition to qualify.

Sheridan paints a picture of coercion and dire, hyperbolic scenarios, all of which are strictly prohibited in Delaware’s bill and in the 18 other states where medical aid-in-dying legislation was introduced in 2023-24. She argues that these scenarios do, in fact, happen but provides no evidence; this is because there is no evidence of abuse in any of the 11 U.S. jurisdictions where medical aid in dying is currently authorized.

We don’t need to speculate about how the proposed law will work. We have over 25 years of data and experience from hundreds of doctors. These laws work as designed for the niche percentage of the population they serve.

Having the option of medical aid in dying does not “undermine” compassionate health care but instead affirms it. I support the option for terminally ill adults in their final six months of life to exit peacefully in a manner of their choosing. I respectfully ask Gov. John Carney to allow HB 140 to pass in 2024, to enable greater choice in end-of-life care for terminally ill Delawareans.

Dr. Robert Varipapa

Dover

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