Thank you, Dr. Kevorkian
Both my grandmothers lived wonderfully rich lives into their late nineties. But one of them suffered horribly her last year or two, to the point that she pleaded with me repeatedly that she just wanted to die, as if I could somehow make that happen. She had lost hope and knew only pain. I felt absolutely horrible because I could do nothing except try to comfort her and remind her of the wonderful life she had led.
Given my grandmother’s politics and religion, I’m certain she — for her entire adult life — despised Dr. Kevorkian and everything he stood for. I’m pretty sure I once heard her say so, making a dirty face while spitting out his name.
But your perspective on assisted suicide broadens when you’re the one in terminal agony. I only wish Dr. Kevorkian could have been by my side when my grandmother begged me, over and over, to die.
When we learned of her passing, we were all relieved. I still miss my grandmother terribly and choked up horribly this week at a wake telling a friend it was good his 85-year-old mother had not suffered because memories of my grandmother flooded back. My grandmother’s pain haunts me.
Someone living in constant pain with no hope of improvement should be entitled to choose to end their life with dignity on their own terms at a time of their choosing. I wish I could have given my grandmother that basic human right.
Posted by James on Friday, June 03, 2011