Death was imminent for britney, there wasnt a cure or anything that would change the fact that she would die. The manner in which she died thats what he sh control over. Inside the debate in california that could ripple across the nation. Should medically assisted suicide be legalized. We cannot legislation morality. This is a matter of personal choice. Thanks for joining us im adam may with this report. Tonight we tackle a subject that we all face death. If you think about how you want to die, you might say peacefully in your sleep or surrounded by friends or family. Well what g you could plan that and avoid a drawnout sometimes painful death. Because of diseases or cancers. The debate over medically assisted suicide is rapidly heating up and soon it could be a real option for millions more americans. For those on the front lines of this battle. All eyes are on california thats where one husband made a promise to britney. Tney. We cannot legislate morality this is a matter of personal choice. Reporter california Lawmakers Debate becoming the next state to legalize medically assisted suf. One man watching knows the issue as well as anyone . The mainstay of killing through physician assisted suicide is a drug called pentobarbital. It works by suffocating victims. All the arguments they bring up. Its a simply slope. Its depressed. This is an act of desperation, a cry for help. Therell be coerce abuses. The same arguments brought up 20 years ago. Here we are, 20 years later, and after it being in practice in argon for 17 years, theres not a single case of any of those concerns. Dan was married to britney minard. The california woman suffering from terminal brain cancer who openly lived out her final days advocating for the right to die. I still have enough joy and i laugh and smile with my family and friends. It doesnt seem like the right time. It will come i feel myself getting sicker. It is happening each week. The couple moved to oregon where doctors can legally prescribe lethal medication. My husband is a lovely man. I understand Everyone Needs to grieve. But i want him to be happy. Britney ended her life in november 2014. People need to thing through this themselves. What is worth, a peaceful passing or being tortured to death. Death is imminent. There wasnt a cure. The manner in which she died. Thats what she had control over. How do you think britney would. How do you think shed describe her end of life experience. Thats something we talked about in the months and weeks leading up to it. Theres fear. Death is a topic no one wants to talk about. Britney was brave enough wise enough to deal with the reality that the tumor. Its not stopping. The 29yearold was the face of compassionate choices, an organization pushing states to legalize the option of physician assistance and dying. The controversial end of life choice is authorised in five states. Since minards death, two dozen additional states and the district of columbia have taken up the issue. Diaz says he made a promise to britney to continue the fight. Its amazing that you know one person with one voice can make a difference. However, id say that the fact that its getting attention and support, thats reflective of the attitudes of the general public. Nationwide 74 are actually in favour of the individual being in control of their own dying process. Its a matter of time. State by state, well fight the battles to get this option in the books the words used in the debate make a difference. A recent gallop poll revealed 70 of americans gafr allowing doctors favour allowing doctors to end life using painless means. When you call it assisted suicide, support plummets to 51 . By not calling it suicide what are proponents trying to achieve. What they get is the ability to gloss over hard realities about what is being proposed. Erron is a specialist in psychiatry and medical ethics. When they poll people and say are you in favour of physician assisted suicide, most say no. The California Medical Association long against the idea recently reduced its stance to neutral. Its controversial with many doctors. This is contrary to a long tradition in medicine of ethics going back to the hippocratic oath principles of ethics physicians use knowledge and skills for the purposes of health and healing. Have you worked with patients contemplating ending their life because of medical pain. I have worked with patients that said things offhand along the lines that they cant go on. Theres something psychologically or in terms of their social support or medically that we need to do a better job to address. Once we do that this desire to die issues. Suicide is a distress signal its a fry for help as for dan diaz he says hes only begun to fight. To deliver on his promise to britney. Why are you still out there on the front fighting for the right to die for all californians. As tamping as this taxing as this legislative effort is i think for me its somewhat therapeutic. And knowing that im keeping my promise so britney, i think that thats you know,it helps me continue and this makes me feel good. Beyond california theres 44 other states that dont have the legislation, and so my efforts, you know will continue. Did you wish that she would have given you more time . Well i always wish that shes still here. I mean i look around every time i see a photo of her i think to myself you know thats my baby. I. Man, the deal was we were supposed to be together forever. That was the deal. Thats why we got married. Theres all of that. Theres frustration, anger. My wife took control over her dying process. She harmed no one else along the way. A peaceful passing surrounded by her loved ones. We should be so lucky. Well the california house shelved the bill for 2015. It was close to becoming law. Advocates are making plans for 2016. They are pushing a deal and a ballot initiative. I want to take a moment to talk about the language used in the debate. Both sides dont like certain terms, we decided to use the term medically assisted suicide, thats the preferred wording, according to the style guide, a blueprint for journalists. Next a look at the right to die. My emotional interview with a mother of four Young Children facing death. And fighting the california legislation. They are very real problems with this bill. Proponents say in this is a choice bill. That no doctor will make you take the pill ever. No. But they can take away options welcome back in the last year lawmakers in two doze in states put end of life bills up for debate. In the u. S. Theres support for terminally ill patients the chance to end their life with a pill. It almost became law in california, but the Catholic Church helped put the brakes on it at least for four, our report continues with a look at the opposition fighting for every last breath. Im not afraid to die, we are all dying, most are afraid to talk about dath. For me its part of my life to talk about death. Stephanie packers body is not nearly as strong as her spirit. A mother of four Young Children she is dying from multiple ailments every day with her family is a gift. The actually dying, im not afraid of that. When it happens, it happens. I hope its later rather than suner. My fear is for what happens for my kids when they are hurt who will stay up and worry about them. Thats what a mum does you know. I do. Thats my job. Packer joined the fight against sb 128, also called the end of life bill. It would allow doctors to write terminally ill patients a prescription for lethal medication. Packer would meet the criteria. I have a primary condition, i have lupus, which could attack other organs i have trigeminal mallal ga known as the suicide disease. 55 of these patients kill themselves within the first two years of having the disease. Reporter why is that . It is known as the most excruciatingly painful continue in medical practice. Reporter are you afraid of the pain . Very much as theres nothing i can do. The medicine doesnt help. You have to hold your breath. Reporter how much longer do you think you have . No idea. Reporter medical records show that she has been given three years to live three years ago. Shes running out of the Treatment Options for this devout catholic ending her life with a pill is unthinkable. Are you religiously motivated in this. Is it your primary reason. Its my reason not my only reason. There are real problems with the bill. Proopinionents say its a proponents says its a choice pill no doctor will make you take the pill no Insurance Company can force you to do it. No but they can take away options for you. To save money . Absolutely. End of life care is the most expensive care out there. Like many against medical aid of dying. Packer is alarmed by the case of Barbara Wagner in 2008. The lung patient was denied a 4,000 a month cancer drug and, instead, the state health plan offered an inexpensive prescription to end her life in oregon this law has been in effect for two decades. We have a lot of data and a lot of experience about how it worked in oregon. Reporter tony is the director of compassion and choices california. The main group lobbying in favour of sb 128. There has not been significant problems in oregon. Propon events talk about 6 or 7 cases over and over. A lot of them look more closely. They under the law works as intended. Reporter how does religion play into the debate. If your religion tells you you shouldnt do in and its wrong, i would not want you to choose the option. That would go against your deeply held personal values. I think that works both ways. The issue here is that the government should not be in the business of chooses one over another. If this is an issue of choice. Part of it is i heard it over and over is not whether you taking or not, knowing that the option is there, that it allows you to live more fully. Stephanies choice is different. She wants to honer her catholic faith. She is researching every option Holding Holding out hope for a discovery to keep her alive. Reporter how do you envision her final moments. I dont know. I dont want the kids to watch me die. I dont have the answers. As humans thats where we fault. Not having control. We are talking about your end of life kids what the future will be like without you in it. And yet here you are. Why . This 85 prescription will be some peoples only option if Something Like this passes. Everyone needs to read what is in the bill. And not just come to the table and say its a choice because this is bad medicine. Fearing a future. She is unlikely to wit innocence as she fights for every last breath many disability Rights Groups are opposed, concerned that it could give up the fight to live or lead to pressure by family members to end life. Next our special report continues, we need a woman suing to end her life unwilling to wait for california lawmakers and ready to take action her own way. It wont be a slow painful death. Death. We have gone deep into the issue of medically assisted suicide. California could be the next state to legalize the end of life option after a bill was close to becoming bill and advocates are gearing up for 20th 2016. All this could take time. Some terminally ill patients are not waiting for a new law. They are pursuing legal action i sat with a common suing for the right to die. Elizabeth loves to bring fruits and vegetables to life in her garden. Hoping to help her avoid death. Theres a constant feeling waiting for the shoe to drop. Theres never a moment where i dont have cancer. Its hard to make plans or think far ahead in the future. You have a lot to say, kid. Reporter at 47 her life was turned upside down. The single mother in sacramento was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. How severe was the diagnosis . Nobody really said anything until i went in to the colon surgeon and said i have a 15yearold son and need to know what im dealing with. And he said hed give me no more than 18 months to live. It was pretty severe. Reporter do you mind showing me the scarring . Its fine. Reporter the treatment was excruciating and left her scarred from numerous surgeries. Her teenage son stayed by her side. When she got severely ill from chemotherapy. Knowing my son has been and would have been the most impacted by this is by far the worse part. Death, for the person dying, is over, but leaving a 15yearold kid on his own. The idea is unimaginable. Reporter for the last four years she has been beating the odds. Since the latest treatment in spring, she doesnt know if the cancer is growing or not. This time shes taking an unusual course of action. Suing for the right to legally end her life if and when she says the time is right. I dont have any faith in Palliative Care. After a surgery my lungs started filling up with fluid. And they went to put a drain in my lungs. And i was literally in surgery knocked out, and i was screaming in pain. And that is how i i dont want to end my life that way, and i absolutely dont want my son to see me that way. I dont want my final days to be hell. The final day, i want them as happy as possible. I want to live my life until, you know, until its until the bad outweighs the good. In the lawsuit, she and three others claim they have a right to have a physician aid them in death and prescribe lifeending medication. Sp128 is about how we die in california, not an easy conversation to have. She supports californias sb 128, the end of life bill currently making its way through the state legislature. We saw her praying during a vote in the senate. If passed, california would become the sixth, and by far the largest state to offer an end option to terminally ill patients. Whats the difference between the practice of doctors withholding food, withholding nutrition and water, and this . Torture. I mean, the only difference that i can see is i get to suffer. And thats a pretty horrific thing. Thats the only difference. What is wrong with the law proposed in california. This is a bandaid solution, that over the long term will make matters worse. Doctor erin is a medical ethicist at u. C. Irvine, and staunch opponent to assisted suicide. Proponents say there are safeguards in place. Sco its so its not misused. We know in oregon, 6 of patients dying of assisted suicide ever were referred to psychiatric assessment. Only 13 had Palliative Care referral to have a conversation with an expert on end of life before getting a prescription for the deadly drug. Reporter oregons Public Health Division Said the concerns have not become a reality. Oregon was the first state to pass a death with dignity law. That was back in 1997. Since then 850 people ended their lives. Mostly Cancer Patients with good medical care, like walner. I dont know any terminal patient that wants to die. I think we dont want to drag our death out. We are going to die. If it comes to that point where theres no more that i can do, my body is failing, organs are shutting down, all that is left is die. And it can be slow and painful or under my terms. This man, who is influenced by his catholic faith, warps of a slippery slope. If this is a benefit to someone that can make the request. Physicians would say it can be of benefit to a person that can not make the request. We move logically from voluntary assisted suicide to terminally ill patients and other problems, to nonvoluntary euthanasia for patients who are incapacitated, cant speak for themselves, and the doctor or the hospital deems it appropriate to go ahead and end his life. Reporter what do you say to the opposition. With the physicians, i would say its my choice to have treatment, its my choice to stop treatment. If its a religious opposition the god that im believing in does not want me to suffer, what i believe in is love, hope and prayer, and companionship and benevolence, not about suffering. Reporter so why the Fresh Produce . I think it probably supports my health and healing. Wallner is fighting to extend her life. Weekly trips to a farmers market, fuelling her body with organic foods, hoping it buys her extra time. If this does not become law in california, what will you do . There are medications. You know, i walk out of the hospital when i have a procedure with untold amounts of medication. So i really, honestly, i dont know what i would do. But im not going to it wont be a slow painful death. Reporter you are going to control it if you can. Yes. Absolutely. You can read more about the women featured in these reports on the website aljazeera. Com americatonight. You can join the debate on facebook or twitter. Thanks for watching this america tonight special report. Dont forget to come back well have more of the america tonight tomorrow. Im ali velshi on target, bitter friends in the middle east. Al lies and enemies are often one and the same. Behind the nuclear deal america and iran and why distrust is a 2way street. The enemy of my enemy is my friend is an ancient proverb that makes sense until you apply it to the reality the modern middle east. Right now the United States main enemy in the region is i. S. I. L. The group that has taken over parts of iraq and syria. 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