“The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins?”

~ Edgar Allan Poe

I have been for the Death With Dignity act about as long as I have been able to properly comprehend it’s meaning—roughly since middle school.

I remember standing up and giving a speech in my 9th grade debate class that was in favor of physician assisted suicide and many of the kids in my class treated me like I was a monster.

When I initially read the story of Brittany Maynard I thought that she might just be the young, bright, beautiful face that could change the world’s eyes on this touchy subject, and with this video I hope she has taken a step in that direction.

My favorite part of this video is when Maynard explains that she does not want to die, but unfortunately her body is not going to make it much longer.

“There is not a cell in my body that is suicidal or wants to die. I want to live,” Maynard says.

She is not giving up, she is choosing to control the rest of her life in the most dignified manner that she can.

Brittany’s legacy will be lived on through her advocacy work shared through Compassion and Choices, a non-profit working to improve care and expand choices at the end of one’s life.

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Editor: Emma Ruffin

Photo: Eddie Van 3000/Flickr