A 29-year-old woman faced with a malignant brain tumor is choosing to take her own life on Nov. 1, two days after her husband’s birthday, People.com reports.
Brittany Maynard, 29, tells People that, “My (stage 4) glioblastoma is going to kill me, and that’s out of my control … I’ve discussed with many experts how I would die from it, and it’s a terrible, terrible way to die. Being able to choose to go with dignity is less terrifying.”
She was given six months to live in April and says she wants to celebrate her husband’s birthday on Oct. 30 before she dies.
This week Maynard, who moved from San Francisco to Portland, Ore., launched anonline video campaign to fight for the expansion of death-with-dignity laws throughout the United States. The effort is in conjunction with the nonprofit Compassion & Choices.
People reports that Maynard was a newlywed in January when she learned she had the especially aggressive form of brain cancer.
Her entire family has moved to Oregon because of the state’s Death With Dignity Act, which passed in 1997. Only Washington, Vermont, New Mexico and Montana also have such laws.
