Times Argus

April 22, 2007

Terminally ill shouldn't have to resort to starvation

Your April 15 article on Liz Jeffords' suicide took me back to the patient-directed dying bill, H.44, that just failed in the House. Like Jeffords, I now have to resort to starvation when I cannot stand living with my terminal cancer any longer. I have been on ravaging chemo for two and one-half years now. So would you really call her or my taking my life suicide? She described the whole point of our having an end-of-life choice as people do now in Oregon when she said and I quote:

"I'm very much at peace, I'm feeling discomfort, but this is not painful for me because I have not allowed the cancer to take over. I have made the decision."

The Catholic Church exhorted its members days before the House vote to voice opposition to the bill giving us terminals the right to make the decision that Jeffords did. Jeffords was born a Catholic but she overcame her church's narrowness at least on this issue.

Too bad the Vermont that she loved could not overcome its narrowness and pass H.44.

If you are terminal and want the decision to die to be yours, please e-mail me at tvwalsh@prodigy.net. I want to form a nationwide group starting with Liz's inspiration, right here in Vermont.

As Gov. James Douglas said: "I will always remember Liz for her passion, courage and intense love of Vermont and all that our state represents."

Too bad he opposed H.44; it would have eliminated her discomfort the three weeks it took for her to starve to death. But there will be another election in less than two years. So please e-mail me even if you are not terminal; we need to band together for the more humane way that exists in Oregon. We do not let our pets starve to death. The campaign starts now. We need to elect people who are pro-Jeffords!

Maria Walsh
Londonderry