On New Year’s Day 2014, Brittany Maynard discovered that she had terminal brain cancer. After exhausting her medical options, Maynard and husband Dan Diaz moved from California to Oregon to give her access to the state's Death with Dignity Act. At the time, Oregon was one of only four states to authorize "aid in dying," a law which allows Oregon physicians to prescribe life-ending medications to terminally ill adults. Leading up to her death on November 1, 2014, Maynard used her story to raise national awareness for more end of life options, spurring a national debate about the rights of terminally ill adults to use medication to end their suffering and die in their sleep.
Since Maynard's death, Diaz continues the work of advocating for medical aid in dying legislation, speaking to government officials, medical institutions, and communities across the nation. Through his efforts — and the efforts of others — legislation was successfully passed in California, Colorado, Washington, D.C., and Hawaii. In Ohio, SB 249, the Ohio Aid in Dying Act co-sponsored by Senators Joseph Schiavoni and Kenny Yuko, was the first medical aid in dying bill to be considered in state history. It was presented to the Senate in 2018 but did not advance due to sponsor term limits.
Join us as Diaz shares his wife's story and his ongoing work in advocating for improved end of life options.