Guest Commentary: Medical aid in dying can help prevent traumatic death

It is my belief that if people are allowed to have medical assistance in dying, they will not feel they have to choose an aggressive ending as their only option. And make no mistake, dying in abject pain and suffering is an aggressive ending.”

Nearly eight years ago, I officiated at the memorial service of a 79-year-old man who took his life.

For 30 years, he had lived with various cancers: bladder, skin, stomach and intestinal. He could no longer eat solid food but instead received nutrition through a tube into his stomach. His life was no longer his own; the cancers were overwhelming his body. As much as he suffered physical pain from these cancers, his dignity suffered as much, if not more.

There was nothing medically available that would extend his life or improve its quality. To him, it was clear that his end-of-life journey would be a torturous one, full of pain and anxiety.

He and his wife had discussed and made every decision in their marriage, except for the last one. He ended his life with a single bullet. In his actions, he sought only to end his own suffering, not to cause pain or waste. Sadly, 18 months later, I officiated at her memorial service.

The Delaware End of Life Options Act (House Bill 140) would provide terminally ill adults with the option of medical aid in dying, which, among other things, would help patients and their families avoid this needless trauma.

A May-June 2022 NüPOINT research poll showed that nearly 3 out of 4 Delaware physicians (74%) support medical aid-in-dying legislation in Delaware. A 2020 GBAO poll showed that 72% of Delaware voters support medical aid in dying, including majority support spanning the geographic, political and racial spectrum. While the GBAO poll did not include a breakdown of support among people with disabilities, a Purple Insights poll in neighboring New Jersey showed that 62% of voters with disabilities support medical aid in dying, the exact same support level for all state voters.

People I know with disabilities support medical aid-in-dying laws as strongly as people without disabilities because there are zero documented cases of coercion involving this gentle dying option. In fact, a Journal of Medical Ethics study of the nation’s oldest medical aid-in-dying law in Oregon concluded: “Rates of assisted dying in Oregon ... showed no evidence of heightened risk for the elderly, women, the uninsured, ... people with low educational status, the poor, the physically disabled or chronically ill, minors, people with psychiatric illnesses including depression, or racial or ethnic minorities, compared with background populations.”

Last year, a member of my congregation was diagnosed in the early stages of Lou Gehrig’s disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). He has a loving wife, children and grandchildren. He is a beloved church member. It is not too late for our lawmakers to help him by passing the End of Life Options Act.

It is my belief that if people are allowed to have medical assistance in dying, they will not feel they have to choose an aggressive ending as their only option. And make no mistake, dying in abject pain and suffering is an aggressive ending.

Rather than being denied a peaceful ending, this ending would involve a family conversation, along with their physician and me, their pastor. Rather than resorting to a violent end, people will have the option of a tranquil, pain-free ending. Rather than causing trauma to their family and loved ones, their death could be a comforting, cherished memory of intimacy and authenticity.

This legislation would not result in more people dying but in fewer people suffering. I urge our lawmakers to support the End of Life Options Act and to work for its passage, so that Delawareans who have come to the end of their days may have an option to meet that end with dignity and be surrounded by love.

Perhaps Vicki George, a Wilmington resident with progressive multiple sclerosis, said it best during her testimony in support of HB 140: “The opposition should not determine my right to medical aid in dying, and they do not speak for me and the many people that I know in the community, with or without a disability, that support HB 140. … I certainly respect those who oppose it to make their own decision, but for those who are suffering, it can provide peace and comfort and a much less painful ending.”

The Rev. Cynthia E. Robinson is the pastor of New Ark United Church of Christ in Newark.