Terminally Ill Brittany Maynard Opted To End Her Own Life On Saturday

By
YouTube

Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old terminally ill woman who made headlines in October when she announced that she was going to end her own life under Oregon's "right-to-die" law, passed away in her Portland home on Saturday, according to People.

Maynard announced, in the beginning of October, that she planned to end her life on November 1, a date between her husband's birthday on October 26, and her own 30th birthday on November 19.

Earlier this year Maynard sought the counsel of various doctors to help with her intense and painful headaches. She was eventually diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma, a malignant form of cancer in the form of an aggressive and fatal brain tumor. She was given only a few years to live.


NEWS: The Short but Meaningful Life of Brittany Maynard

At first, Brittany and her husband, Dan Diaz, who got married in 2012, tried to find a cure or treatment. The tumor was operated on and removed, but grew back more aggressively and her life expectancy was reduced to six months.

Deciding that she wanted to take her life, and her death, into her own hands, Maynard and Diaz moved to Portland, Oregon, where she would have the opportunity to dictate the means and conditions surrounding her own passing under to the state's Death With Dignity Act.

Passed in 1997, the Death With Dignity Act gives all Oregonians the right to voluntarily end their own lives with a lethal dose of medication prescribed by their physician expressly for that purpose.

In October, 2014, Maynard teamed up with the end-of-life choice organization Compassion & Choices to launch an online video campaign that sought to expand "right-to-die" laws across the country.


NEWS: 11 Emotional Quotes From Brittany Maynard

Plagued with terrible migraines and devastating seizures, Maynard began planning her death, and the rest of her life, around the idea of dying with dignity while at the same time enjoying her remaining days to the fullest extent.

According to People, Maynard and her loved ones traveled to Alaska, Yellowstone and various other locations that Maynard had always wanted to see, including a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon.

On October 29, Maynard released a six-minute video saying that she may not choose to end her life on November 1 because, "I still feel good enough, and I still have enough joy, and I still laugh and smile with my family and friends enough that it doesn't seem the right time right now."


NEWS: Why Brittany Maynard May Choose to Live Another Day

Maynard is survived by her husband Dan Diaz and her family. She stated before her passing that she hopes her family will continue to fight for her cause, which seeks to expand Death With Dignity laws throughout the nation.

For more information, you can visit Compassion & Choices, or to support the movement, you can donate to The Brittany Maynard Fund.

Also, check out the video below to see other stars who are working to raise awareness with the Stand Up To Cancer telethon.