Community Chat

[Sushismom]

I could never tell my child - or even someone I loved - they were a coward for deciding to end their own pain and suffering.

[jubilant]

I just hope.... in the future.... if this subject ever comes up again we will be able to let people have their opinions without adding insulting adjectives to a persons name for not thinking the same way we do. G#d forbid we would have different ""viewpoints"". Let's just all say the same things and think alike. No viewpoints needed. Is that what we all really want here?

[Sushismom]

I have no problems with what others wish to chose for themselves. But I want the same right - to be able to chose for myself. Some don't want others to have a choice. That's where I draw the line.

[dooBdoo]

I'll post what I said on the other thread. Each person has the freedom and the right to have their own opinions, but to me the desire to force their personal choices on everyone else is a problem. Brittany's own words:

"I would not tell anyone else that he or she should choose death with dignity. My question is: Who has the right to tell me that I don't deserve this choice? That I deserve to suffer for weeks or months in tremendous amounts of physical and emotional pain? Why should anyone have the right to make that choice for me?"

She made her decision with the counsel and support of her family and medical team. May she rest in gentle peace, in the arms of God's angels.

[Abby Grace]

I tried to post on the other thread, but it is closed. I believe that she passed on the exact date, hour, minute, & second that her life was intended to end. It's not our plan.

Blessings for her soul, and her loved ones left on earth. May they all find peace.

Edited myself for spelling.

[Cakers1]

I would like to take a moment and comment on the religious aspect of this situation.

1st, let it be known that I realize that not everyone is Christian, nor does eveyone believe in God, so let's not make my post about lecturing.

I keep reading that Brittany took God's power and plan away from Him; perhaps Brittany was doing exactly what God wanted. We can never assume that she overstepped her bounds. Perhaps, just perhaps, God used this lovely young woman to open up the notion that choice is always ours. Through Brittany the doors to discussing death with dignity have been flung out so wide I think they fell off the darn hinges.

I don't know what Brittany believed in terms of God; but if she had any spiritual, not necessarily religious, but spiritual insight surely she also prayed at some point while making her plan. If Jesus in Gesthmene could ask that this be taken away from Him, who are we to say that Brittany also didn't ask to be spared? Jesus went on to fulfill the Father's plan. We cannot say that Brittany did not do the same.

Brittany was graced with peace of mind; that is a blessing. A blessing, imo, from above to alleve her of any doubts and fears about her plan. Blessings are not just material things; that inner sense that all will be ok, no matter our decisions, that's the blessing. Comfort, love, understanding.

To ask any of us would we do the same - who can answer such a thing? Who can picture her own child in that situation? I can't, for sure, although in a few years I could face a similar path with a loved one. Enough about that.

Everyone here has their own perspective about Brittany; nobody is right if everyone is wrong (my apologies to Buffalo Springfield). Brittany's choice was for her - not for her husband, not for her mother - but for her. Yes, her loved ones were included but in the end nobody but Brittany could take that final step.

RIP Brittany - I salute you for taking a stand to bring awareness to everyone who read your story. There was nothing self-serving about you; no dramatics, no hand-wringing, no "why me", no wailing. Simply told your story with grace; none of us know your inner turmoil at the beginning of your diagnosis. But in the end you showed that death with dignity is not about seeking attention; it's about human dignity and nobody could take that away from you.

[jubilant]

I don't have all the answers here. Everything human in me would not want to suffer but I don't think my spirit would agree with my human nature. Do I think this young woman is a coward? Of course not. Can I understand why she would want to do this? Yes. Do I believe in it. No, I don't. I have many reasons I feel this way but I don't expect anyone else to understand. But please don't say, I lack compassion. That's just not true. For me it is a matter of a deep belief that God gave me life and He is the only one that has the right to take it. I am also concerned about it becoming too easy. She made her decision. It was hers to make. I won't judge her for having a different viewpoint. That is not my place. I am very sorry she and her family had to go through this and I pray for peace and comfort for those who loved her.

[Catitude]

We don't know if she had peace of mind at the time she passed. She made a commitment to herself and selected a specific date to end her life which she did carry out even though she appeared to vacillate a bit at the end. Even her subconscious will to live was stronger than her determination to die. She was very determined to take a stand about dying with dignity via suicide. Her mind was made up from the inception of her diagnosis by refusing to be treated for her cancer and she was not going to fight the disease even before the pain and seizures set in. She refused chemo and radiation and said that her particular form of brain cancer had a very low survival rate even though others have survived 5 years or more. She managed to do quite a bit of travelling just months before she passed which is proof that she had moments of feeling well enough to do so and only recently after her trip to the Grand Canyon did she have a bad seizure which left her unable to speak. In her video she seemed tormented and depressed by her appearance which had changed due to medications that made her gain 25 lbs. She appeared just as upset with her weight gain as she did with her cancer. Everyone is different so none of us can judge her but I will say that most terminal patients that I have encountered want to live not die.

She wanted to be in control of her disease and to make a statement about assisted suicide and she carried her plan out. Even if she wanted to change her mind about the particular date she chose to kill herself, I believe (and this is only my opinion) that she felt she had to follow through since she made it so public and was so vocal about it, that she would have had to face all the criticism she was already receiving after release that last video.

[Jig Saw]

Sadly there are many things in this world we have no control over. I choose to put those things into God's hands, not my own.

[Catitude]

edited