Vegetative States and Brain Death

The 64-year old American woman voluntarily died in the “Tesla of euthanasia” in 2025 in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. “…40 police all dressed in total hazard equipment because they didn’t know what this strange capsule in the forest was, to open it up.” Read more about Philip Nitschke’s London workshop.

A clear description of the typical Voluntarily Stopping Eating & Drinking (VSED) experience, day by day. Also a cautionary tale to be sure to have an agreed upon plan should the person undergoing VSED request water. Read about the VSED process here.

Sean Davison has seen a lot of death. Over the last two decades, he has helped at least 33 people to kill themselves. “It’s a very important role,” he said. “I enjoy helping people to have the death they want. A beautiful death to escape their suffering.” The police don’t see it that way. Early on ...

With great courage and integrity, a UK Member of Parliament stood up for his constituents and his conscience. Now he has to defend himself from backlash by his own church. Click Here to What the Catholic Preist Said About Voting for a UK Assisted Dying Bill

The inventor of the Sarco suicide pod is building a ‘kill switch’ implant which could allow dementia sufferers to seal the time of their death years in advance. Dr Philip Nitschke, whose controversial capsule ended an American woman’s life in Switzerland last September, has told MailOnline that his newest device is nearing the testing phase.  Click Here ...

In 2023, more than 15,000 people were approved for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). Even more bear the weight of losing their loved one. Jeff Rideout is one of them.  Click Here to Read the Article

Medical aid in dying laws exist in 11 states and Washington, D.C., in cases where a patient has less than six months to live, is cognitively sound to make decisions and can self-administer the drugs that will end their lives. But what happens in the states where these laws do not exist? A growing number of ...

“Although voluntary assisted dying (VAD) will be legal in every Australian jurisdiction except the Northern Territory by the end of this year, it remains entirely off-limits for people with dementia.” This is also the case in the United States.    Click Here to Read the Article

There are many who feel it is wrong for health care professionals to “play God” — to decide who lives and who dies. But one could argue that such circumstances go beyond “wrong” and “right.” It’s about acknowledging the individual’s autonomy and their decision about what is appropriate for themselves. What is “right” or “wrong” depends on ...

May 19, 2025 This year, 27 bills were proposed in legislatures to legalize assisted dying in 18 states. This has been common over the years, as similar bills have failed to make it through the legislative process. Click Here to Read the Article

On May 20, surrounded by advocates, legislators and community members, Gov. Matt Meyer signed into law House Bill 140 − the Ron Silverio/Heather Block Delaware End-of-Life Options Act. The legislation is named after two advocates who died before the bill was passed.   Click Here to Read the Article

Julian Kingma travelled Australia photographing the lives and deaths of people who accessed assisted dying, and those who care for them. He thinks about death differently now. Click Here to Read the Article

This is an interesting article about Philip Nitschke and his invention, the Sarco euthanasia pod. Click Here to Read the Article

“Jonker wants to be one of a growing number of people – almost 400 in 2024 – that are granted euthanasia on these grounds, otherwise known as “an accumulation of geriatric conditions”. They represented almost 4 per cent of the 9,958 deaths from euthanasia in the Netherlands last year.”    Click Here to Read the Article

You may recognize Dr. Donnie Moore in this article. He is a former member of our board. Click Here to Read the Article

Sky News speaks to a UK woman who is being investigated by police for assisting the death of her husband at Dignitas. Louise Shackleton, whose husband suffered from Motor Neurone Disease, tells her story for the first time.  Click here to watch the interview

‘Their lives were getting harder, even with help. They did not want to go to a nursing home and neither wanted to live without the other. So they left this life together.’   Click here to see more

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Laura, an 88-year-old woman, embarks on a final journey to Switzerland to take control of her own death. Through the eyes of her daughter and granddaughter, both filmmakers, this documentary captures Laura’s fearless decision, their emotional turmoil, and the ethical complexities of assisted dying. From a joyful European river cruise to the stark reality of ...

This is why we do what we do, and why your support of our educational programs matters. “Medical aid in dying (MAID for short) is legal in 10 states—including New Jersey—and Washington, D.C., covering one-fifth of the U.S. population. Despite increasing legal availability throughout the nation, Rutgers-led research found that 51.3% of survey respondents didn’t know if ...

Daniel Kahneman was one of the world’s most influential thinkers—a psychologist at Princeton University, winner of the Nobel Prize in economics and author of the international blockbuster “Thinking, Fast and Slow,” first published in 2011. He had spent his long career studying the imperfections and inconsistencies of human decision-making. Diagnosed with dementia, he made the decision ...

Inside Edition published an insightful report on a woman suffering with Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) and what happens between dementia and death. Don’t miss the second part that begins after the advertisement. Click here to watch the report

The latest update in the controversial debate surrounding Dr. Philip Nitschke’s Sarco pod for Voluntary Assisted Dying. Dr. Nitschke is a world-renowned pioneer in the global Right to Die movement and has been a past guest speaker at our meetings.  Click here to read the article Watch our interview with Dr. Nitschke, which took place with ...

Tuscany approved a bill regulating medically assisted suicide Tuesday, becoming Italy’s first region to approve a right-to-die law in the Roman Catholic country after the constitutional court effectively legalized the procedure in 2019. Click here to read the article

This is a data-based discussion of who chooses MAID, that addresses the arguments and dispels the myths against it. Last December, researchers in the U.S., Canada, and Europe published a study in JAMA Internal Medicine dedicated to understanding the positives and potential negatives of MAID. Analyzing records from 20 different jurisdictions where MAID is practiced, they tried to answer a ...

CBS Evening News: A look at terminal patients turning to medical aid in dying

Derek Humphry, founder of the National Hemlock Society in 1980, died January 2, 2025, at age 94. Without Derek’s publications, his attempts to change the law to allow aid in dying, and without the powerful national Hemlock Society, there arguably would be no right to die movement in the US. Read his obituary in the The ...

California State Senator Catherine Blakespear is reigniting the debate over assisted suicide by seeking to expand the state’s End of Life Option Act (EOLOA). The 2016 law, which allows terminally ill adults with less than six months to live to request life-ending drugs, could soon include patients with early to mid-stage dementia and other non-terminal ...

Alleged suicide kit salesman files in Supreme Court to contest whether assisted suicide can ever be murder Lawyers representing the Ontario man accused of selling hundreds of suicide kits with deadly effect around the globe have filed to intervene in a case in Canada’s highest court, arguing there is no way he can be charged with ...

Governor John Carney Friday vetoed legislation that would have allowed people with a terminal illness who are able to make sound decisions for themselves to get access to medication that would end their lives. House Bill 140  received final legislative approval in the State Senate in late June. However, it underwent several amendments and the issue has ...

Legislators and doctors are struggling to define who should have the right to die. Milou Verhoof was a physically healthy teenager from the Netherlands when she asked to be allowed to die. For years she had struggled with borderline personality disorder, a mental illness that profoundly affected her ability to manage her emotions. In interviews with Dutch ...

A citizens’ jury has overwhelmingly backed the legalisation of assisted dying for terminally ill people after hearing from experts over a period of eight weeks. Twenty out of 28 jurors based in England agreed the law should be changed, with seven disagreeing and one person saying they were undecided. The conclusions of the citizens’ jury were published with the ...

Euthanasia in the simplest sense involves intentionally ending a person’s life to relieve ongoing suffering such as suffering from an irrecoverable or an incurable state of being and is a complex and evolving issue in the Indian landscape. While death with dignity is not only a legal issue but simultaneously a cultural and spiritual issue ...

A report into the development of voluntary assisted dying laws in the Northern Territory has recommended the government legalise the practice in line with other Australian jurisdictions. Released on Wednesday, the NT government-commissioned report summarised the findings of an independent panel of appointed experts following months of consultation across the territory. It made 22 recommendations, including that ...

Pippa Hudson of CapeTalk interviews Willem Landman, co-founder of Dignity South Africa. Dr. Sean Davison was detained in the United Kingdom in July of 2024 on charges of assisting suicide.

French President Emmanuel Macron on July 23, 2024 announced a national debate on end-of-life options that will include exploring the possibility of legalizing assisted suicide. A 2016 French law provides that doctors can keep terminally ill patients sedated before death but stops short of allowing assisted suicide.Macron said in a written statement that a panel ...

They checked into a motel room in upstate New York, with a gas canister and a plan to end her decades of physical pain. Read the full article on the New York Times’ website.

The Pontifical Academy for Life released a new booklet to aid in the public debate on end-of-life issues. The booklet, published only in Italian July 2, offers clear definitions and the Catholic Church’s teaching on bioethics. The goal of the lexicon, Archbishop Paglia wrote, is to clear through “the jungle of intricate issues” and present ...

A 77-year-old Dutch man accused of illegally aiding suicide has ended his life days before he was to be sentenced, the public prosecution office has said. Prosecutors had called for a 2.5 year custodial sentence against Tom de M., with six months suspended, for selling a chemical compound known as “substance X” online. The unnamed ...

A mother has admitted giving her terminally ill seven-year-old son a large dose of morphine to stop his suffering and “quietly end his life”. Antonya Cooper, from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, said her son Hamish had stage 4 cancer and was in “a lot of pain” before his death in 1981. Now facing a terminal diagnosis herself, ...

It’s been just over three weeks since the New York state Legislature again failed to pass the Medical Aid in Dying Act, but the sting is still fresh for advocates of the proposed legislation. The act — which was first introduced in the state Senate in 2015 yet has failed to advance past the committee stage ...

In May, France’s parliament began debating a controversial right-to-die bill backed by President Emmanuel Macron, who has made it a flagship reform of his second term. If the bill becomes law — at the end of discussions likely to last for more than a year — it will bring France closer in line with its ...

Dame Esther Rantzen’s daughter has said she is considering breaking the law to aid her mother’s wish of assisted dying.The 83-year-old, who fronted the BBC show That’s Life!, is one of the leading advocates for assisted suicide in the UK after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in January last year. The punishment for assisting another person’s ...

In the Netherlands, this is known as duo-euthanasia. It’s legal, and it’s rare – but every year, more Dutch couples choose to end their lives this way. Jan and Els were married for almost five decades. In early June, they died together after being given lethal medication by two doctors. Read more about Jan and Els ...

A newly filed federal lawsuit against Oregon officials says the state’s first-in-the-nation psilocybin law discriminates against disabled individuals who can’t travel to designated service centers where the substance is administered, unfairly depriving them of potential benefits to health and well-being. Under state law, “the provision of psilocybin services is explicitly restricted to licensed service centers under ...

Two women with incurable cancer are urging the next UK prime minister to allow a vote on assisted dying in the first 100 days of the new parliament and free them from fear of a painful death. Sophie Blake, 51, a former Sky Sports reporter, and Helen Skelton, 56, a psychotherapist, who both have stage 4 ...

“We ask Delaware Catholics and all people of good will to contact Governor Carney and ask him to stand up for the elderly, sick and disabled, by vetoing this dangerous and immoral legislation,” Bishop William Koenig said in a June 26 statement. “We ask all Christians and those of other faith traditions to join the ...

Legislation legalizing medical aid in dying in Delaware is headed to the governor’s desk after narrowly passing in the Delaware State Senate. The bill passed the Delaware Senate on an 11-10 vote June 25th after failing 9-9 last week. Senate sponsor Sen. Bryan Townsend changed his vote from “yes” to “no” so he could bring ...

March 27, 2024 – Scottish Parliamentarian Liam McArthur MSP introduced Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) bill on March 27, 2024. It will allow terminally ill adults in Scotland, who are eligible, to lawfully request, and be provided with, assistance by health professionals to end their own life. To be eligible to be provided with assistance to end ...

If you ever find it difficult to talk about your last wishes with your loved ones, this podcast from a mother and her son contains some surprising lessons. At age 88, the mother decided to end her life in Switzerland. Her son cam back to Story Corps to discuss how she communicated this with him ...

A citizens’ initiative calling for the legalisation of euthanasia in Finland received the required 50,000 signatures in March and will now proceed to parliament to be debated by MPs. A previous attempt to legalise the practice via a citizens’ initiative was rejected by parliament in 2018.  Click here to read full article.

A new book is available by a Canadian MAID provider, Dr. Jean Marmoreo, is now available at your favorite bookseller. The book explores the stories of patients who asked Dr. Marmoreo to end their suffering and how this role has impacted her. Canadian MAID law is more progressive than the laws adopted in a few ...

In Delaware, a Medical Aid in Dying bill just passed the state House of Representatives and is now up for consideration by the state Senate. If you live in Delaware, it’s time to call, write, and email your state senator urging them to vote in favor of the bill.  Click here to read more

Suicide is a sensitive subject in America. People bristle at the thought. Though organizations like The Hemlock Society have tried to champion the right to decide one’s own fate, Americans have long resisted the notion. Those who support legal euthanasia options say dying should be a personal choice. Some say we’re free to marry who ...

California could become home to the nation’s most sweeping assisted dying policies with a new bill that would allow dementia patients and out-of-state residents to end their lives here. To read the full article Click Here   HSSD endorses SB 1196 and hopes you will join us in advocating for its passage.

Her decision to talk about her journey adds to the growing public pressure for reform – including from figures such as Jonathan Dimbleby, whose brother Nicholas recently died with motor neurone disease, and Esther Rantzen, who has lung cancer and calls the law in Britain “a cruel mess”. Since 1998 more than 530 Britons have ...

By José Alejandro Lemuz  “I am dying from prostate cancer that has spread to my bones. But it’s comforting to know that I will likely soon die gently because I plan to use a medical aid-in-dying law championed by civil rights icon Dolores Huerta. Less than three percent of the Californians who used the law in 2022 were Latinos, ...

Through the efforts of Hemlock Society members, who formed a grassroots politicaly lobbying organization called A Better Exit, State Senator Catherine Blackspear has introduced a bill that would expand access to Medical Aid in Dying. Many thanks to Marcia Hofer, Janet Hager, Christie Golemb, and Barry Price who devoted countless hours to make this bill ...

“Here is what we learned: We are failing at dying. Instead of a time for growth, deep connection, reflection and deliverance, our ends of life are consumed by petty distractions and institutional imperatives. The dying people we interviewed had not given up on life; rather they were full of desire to mark their final days ...

Australia’s former Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb, discusses dementia and the right to Voluntary Assisted Dying in an emotional and compelling interview. Listen to the 8-minute broadcast here: Click here

“I feel like it’s kind of beautiful, honestly, that you’ve lived your life together, you both happen to be gravely ill without a chance of getting better, you’re ready to go, and you would like to go together.” Quote from Maria Carpiac, director of the gerontology program at California State University at Long Beach.  Read the ...

Miller, who voluntarily surrendered, pleaded not guilty, posted bail and returned to Arizona, according to his attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman. “He’s an 85-year-old man who simply wanted to provide comfort and counseling to someone who couldn’t live with the pain in their life anymore,” Lichtman said in a phone interview Tuesday. “For his life to end, ...

Lauren’s extreme suffering at only 28 years-old was more harrowing and devasting than her final message. It seems she was at peace for the first time in 5 years and was surrounded by love and acceptance when she died. Her illnesses were tragic and she made a decision to deal with them in the time ...

At 52 years-old, she can no longer bear the constant suffering of her deteriorating body. Taking control of her death is the one thing she can do to allow her peace of mind and enjoyment in the final chapter of her life.    Click here to read full article

After the botched execution by Nitrogen gas in Alabama, please read this article by Dr. Philip Nitschke, co-author of The Peaceful Pill Handbook, to learn what Alabama got wrong and how the press is misreporting it. “Nitrogen is an inert gas and makes up around 80% of the air we breathe. A hypoxic death is not ...

One Tennessee lawmaker wants to give Tennesseans the “right to die.” Rep. Bob Freeman (D-Nashville) filed a bill in the General Assembly this month that would create a process for those suffering terminal diseases to die in a “humane and dignified manner.” HB1710 would allow for qualified patients to request a prescription of medication that would end their ...

Marcia Hofer is a life member of the Hemlock Society, dedicated political activist, and Founding President of A Better Exit (ABE). Her organization’s mission is to expand California’s End of Life Option Act to allow access to Medical Aid in Dying for more people in need. In November 2023, Marcia’s passionate, compelling Op Ed was ...

A French politican speaks out to the world with her support for assisted dying as a controversy continues around the world. Her voice is important to all of us.   Click here to read the article  

A new documentary, currently streaming on Peacock, examines the prolonged legal battles and national controversy over whether to keep Terri alive in a persistent vegetative state or disconnect her feeding tube and allow her to die.  Click here to read full article

This is an interesting report from Germany on how caring for terminal cancer patients who choose VSED to hasten their death impacts their clinical caregivers. It’s an area that may not be considered in the argument for Medical Aid in Dying and should be part of the overall debate. Click here to read full article

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When a compassionate, legal option is available, people are not forced to spend their last days, weeks, or months living with agonzing pain and fear. Good on ya, Australia!  Click here to read full article

Panelists Stephen Latham, director of Yale’s Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics, Thaddeus Pope, bioethicist and professor at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law and Jules Good, a disability justice activist and policy analyst, provided insight about MAID from various angles including national trends, international and ethical trends and opposition.  Click here to read full article    

A local San Diego news station aired a segment on differing viewpoints of Medical Aid in Dying. Dr. Bob Uslander is featured in the report and presents some important facts. Click here to watch the video

A Time to Die is a new documentary film currently airing in the UK on ITV1. The film begins by noting that over 425 million people around the world now have the right to some form of medically assisted suicide. In England and Wales, however, assisting a suicide can lead to arrest and a sentence of ...

“People are extremely grateful that this service is available to them and are very grateful to the people who are providing that service, when it’s not an easy task for providers to provide assisted dying,” Click here to read full article

This development was shared with us by a member. It will be interesting to see if it has any effect on our movement. Click here to read full article

The New York Times Magazine’s Ethicist columnist on the complications of honoring a deathbed request.  Click here to read full article

The video includes a great interview with our former board president, Barry Price! Click here to watch the video

An alarming Op Ed piece recently appeared in Newsweek (September 11, 2023) stating that California’s End of Life Option Act (EOLOA) violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. According to the author, a Connecticut attorney and disability rights activist, “Amid existing health care disparities, assisted suicide, although ostensibly voluntary, imperils the ill and disabled. A law ...

This is an excellent Op Ed by Peter Sussman published in the Orange County Register addressing the current lawsuit against California’s End of Life Option Act by a coalition of disability rights groups. Click here to read full article

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“For years now, I’ve been testifying before the Delaware General Assembly, pleading with lawmakers to pass “The Ron Silverio/Heather Block End of Life Options Law” (House Bill 140), which would allow terminally ill adults like me the option of medical aid in dying to gently end intolerable suffering. Some disability rights advocates oppose this compassionate ...

Ken Watson was a Hemlock Society board member for several years specializing in filming our meetings, interviewing and often hosting our guests, and helping with all things video. His apartment in the Vi Retirement Community was a mini-recording studio with a green screen, teleprompter, lights, cameras, and plenty of action. On August 18, Ken died peacefully, ...

We thank our member who shared this news story with us. Click here to read full article

It is estimated that nearly 500,000 new cases of Alzheimer’s disease will be diagnosed this year in the United States. Every 3 seconds, someone in the world develops dementia. MAID is not an option for these people. Have you thought about what you would do if you were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, LBD, any ...

A beautifully written and touching story. Click here to read full article

When her mother killed herself, Natasha Walter realised she had been living in denial. In a gripping memoir, she reveals how she came to understand the strong, rebellious woman behind this final act Click Here for Full Article  

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California End of Life Option Act Report 2022 Data Report