BY HANNAH BROADBENT | The Statesman A little over a year ago, on Nov. 1 2014, Brittany Maynard took part in Oregon’s Death With Dignity Law when she took her life surrounded by friends and family after being diagnosed with a terminal state of stage four brain cancer.
Now, Minnesota State Senator Chris Eaton is fighting for the same possibility for Minnesota residents. She is proposing her own bill, modeled after Oregon’s, called the Aid in Death Bill under the Compassionate Care Act.
“My mother died in Hospice and lived long past what she called a good quality of life,” Eaton said.
On Saturday, Dec. 5 Senator Eaton held an open forum at UMD. She was accompanied by professors Barbara Elliot, of the U of M Medical school - Duluth Campus, and Charlie Bateman, LSBE adjunct faculty member. The forum was held to inform the public of her bill and allowed for question and answer time.
Eaton addressed three questions: why it’s important, what aid-in-dying is not (it’s not murder) and the process of it.
“There is a difference between someone who is suicidal and someone who is already dying,” Eaton said.
According to Eaton, the importance of Aid in Dying is to relieve stress and gives the patient autonomy and control.
Eaton reminded the audience that that is what Brittany Maynard wanted. Since her death, 20 states have introduced this bill. States that have death with dignity laws currently in effect are Montana, Vermont, California, Washington and Oregon.
“Minnesota is anyone’s guess. We’re working on it,” Eaton said.
The bill says that only adults 18 years or older qualify to take part in the law, they must be a Minnesota resident, they must be determined terminally (6 months or less to live) and they must be competent, or sound of mind.
The patient must pass all these qualifications and be deemed eligible by two physicians. If one doctor does not qualify the patient for aid-in-dying then no action can be taken.
One question that was asked to Professor Elliot pertained to the Hippocratic Oath which states, “In its original form, it requires a new physician to swear, by a number of healing gods, to uphold specific ethical standards.”
“Anyone know when that was written? It was written 4,000 years ago,” Elliot said. “Medical people will (still) aid patients in their healing."
Another question asked was related to terminally ill children, in which Eaton replied with a rule of her bill, “My bill requires you’re an adult.”
Eaton explained how the process works. Barbiturates must be emptied into liquid or applesauce. The patient takes it themselves, a key part of the law, and in five to twenty minutes falls into a deeper and deeper sleep. Eventually their respiratory system will shut down and they will stop breathing.
“It’s very peaceful,” Eaton said.