Terminal cancer patient Brittany Maynard takes own life surrounded by family

A 29-year-old woman who made the brave decision to end her life early to prevent further suffering, has died this weekend.

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by Ellie Hooper |
Published on

Brittany Maynard was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer just a few months ago, and rather than let the tumour slowly destroy her, decided she would die while she could still function.

The newlywed wrote on Facebook: ‘Goodbye to all my dear friends and family that I love. Today is the day I have chosen to pass away with dignity in the face of my terminal illness, this terrible brain cancer that has taken so much from me…but would have taken so much more.’

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‘The world is a beautiful place, travel has been my greatest teacher, my close friends and folks are the greatest givers. I even have a ring of support around my bed as I type.’

‘Goodbye world. Spread good energy. Pay it forward!’

Brittany moved to Portland, Oregon, this year to take advantage of the state’s right to die laws, which are not currently in place in her native California.

‘The world is a beautiful place, travel has been my greatest teacher, my close friends and folks are the greatest givers.'

A spokesperson for Compassion & Choices confirmed that Brittany passed away on Saturday, as she had intended, after she suffered ‘Increasingly frequent and longer seizures, severe head and neck pain, and stroke-like symptoms.’

The 29-year-old finished her bucket list last week when she visited the Grand Canyon with her husband and parents.

In a recent video for Compassion & Choices, Brittany addresses criticism that she doesn’t wait longer to take her own life.

Brittany and Dan married in 2012, soon after the headaches started

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‘I think sometimes people look at me and they think. “Well you don’t look as sick as you say you are” which hurts to hear, because when I’m having a seizure and i can’t speak afterwards, I certainly feel as sick as I am.’

Brittany has been campaigning for everyone’s right to die since being diagnosed with terminal Glioblastoma multiforme in Spring 2014, asking other states in America to enforce the ‘Death with Dignity Act.’

Under this law, people who are suffering a terminal illness can be prescribed a pill to take their own life.

The young woman was diagnosed with cancer after 18 months of intense headaches.

Visit her campaign here.

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