Photo: Courtesy of Dan Diaz and TheBrittanyFund.orgEight years after the death of his wife,Brittany Maynard, Dan Diaz is working to keep her memory alive — and continuing the fight for medical aid-in-dying laws legislation across the U.S.In January 2014, Maynard was diagnosed withglioblastoma, a terminal form of brain cancer, at just 29 years old. Over the following weeks, she decided not to move forward with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, citing the likelihood the treatments would significantly decrease her quality of life, with no assurance they would extend the time she had left.Maynard and Diaz then packed up their belongings and moved from their California home in the San Francisco Bay Area to Oregon, where Maynard would have access to the state’sEnd of Life Option Act. The law allows patients with terminal illnesses to end their lives with lethal medication under the supervision of their medical team. At the time, only five states had similar laws, and California wasn’t one of them.Maynard continued to advocate for medical aid-in-dying legislation untilshe ended her lifeon Nov. 1, 2014.Courtesy of Dan Diaz and TheBrittanyFund.org"There were plenty of tough times, don’t get me wrong, but there is also the emotion of just being immensely proud of her wanting to make a difference for other people," Diaz tells PEOPLE.“That, for me, is what plays out in my mind,” he adds. “I’m able to grieve that Brittany’s gone but also feel pride in her.“Since Maynard’s death, Diaz has continued to share her story and advocate for similar medical aid-in-dying laws across the country through theBrittany Maynard Fund. He also works alongside the Colorado-based nonprofitCompassion & Choices, which supports end of life options for terminally ill patients.Diaz says he still has “good and bad days” in coping with his grief, but finds strength in all that has been accomplished since Maynard’s diagnosis.Today, ten states — California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington — and the District of Columbia, permitdoctor-assisted end of life optionsfor patients. (California passed the law less than a year after Maynard’s death.)But Diaz says he has experienced pushback in his efforts to support doctor-assisted end of life legislation, especially from faith-based groups or figures. Other organizations, like theDisability Rights Education & Defense Fund, also argue against similar end of life laws, claiming they would be a “deadly mix” within the “broken, profit-driven health care system” of the U.S.Diaz says such laws are compassionate not just for the patients, but for their loved ones and caregivers.“That was Brittany’s whole point,” Diaz says. “Brittany said early on, ‘I refuse to die the way that this brain tumor will end my life.’ It’s the reason she spoke up, she wanted to have that bit of control, take that back from the disease, but then also make a difference for you and me and everyone else.“RELATED VIDEO: Deborah James on Choosing Where to Spend Her Final Days: It’s ‘Where I’ve Always Wanted to Die’“The hope is that your dying process will be gentle, and you don’t need to use the medication,” he continues. “She could truly focus on living her life because she didn’t have to be terrified of how the dying process went. Of course, the patient is the one that is suffering through the disease, but from the family’s perspective, they all go through that as well.““And for me, the relief that the medication provided Brittany, and her outlook on life, her desire to truly live the time that she had left, simplified things,” Diaz explains. “It made things a lot easier for me as her husband, for family, for friends, because the job simply becomes supporting Brittany.“For other people who are going through a similar, heartbreaking situation, Diaz suggests “being your own advocate” when it comes to voicing your medical — and end of life — wishes. He also advises patients to do their best to find a medical team supportive of those decisions.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.Though he doesn’t usually use social media, Diaz has continued to do outreach through theDan Diaz Brittany MaynardFacebook page, where he shares images from their time together and pictures from his trips to meet with legislators and advocates.Diaz says he will continue his work convincing leaders in more states to support medical aid-in-dying laws and to keep Maynard’s memory alive.“In Brittany’s own words, end of life options do not result in more people dying,” he says. “It results in fewer people suffering.”
Photo: Courtesy of Dan Diaz and TheBrittanyFund.org
Eight years after the death of his wife,Brittany Maynard, Dan Diaz is working to keep her memory alive — and continuing the fight for medical aid-in-dying laws legislation across the U.S.In January 2014, Maynard was diagnosed withglioblastoma, a terminal form of brain cancer, at just 29 years old. Over the following weeks, she decided not to move forward with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, citing the likelihood the treatments would significantly decrease her quality of life, with no assurance they would extend the time she had left.Maynard and Diaz then packed up their belongings and moved from their California home in the San Francisco Bay Area to Oregon, where Maynard would have access to the state’sEnd of Life Option Act. The law allows patients with terminal illnesses to end their lives with lethal medication under the supervision of their medical team. At the time, only five states had similar laws, and California wasn’t one of them.Maynard continued to advocate for medical aid-in-dying legislation untilshe ended her lifeon Nov. 1, 2014.Courtesy of Dan Diaz and TheBrittanyFund.org"There were plenty of tough times, don’t get me wrong, but there is also the emotion of just being immensely proud of her wanting to make a difference for other people,” Diaz tells PEOPLE.“That, for me, is what plays out in my mind,” he adds. “I’m able to grieve that Brittany’s gone but also feel pride in her.“Since Maynard’s death, Diaz has continued to share her story and advocate for similar medical aid-in-dying laws across the country through theBrittany Maynard Fund. He also works alongside the Colorado-based nonprofitCompassion & Choices, which supports end of life options for terminally ill patients.Diaz says he still has “good and bad days” in coping with his grief, but finds strength in all that has been accomplished since Maynard’s diagnosis.Today, ten states — California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington — and the District of Columbia, permitdoctor-assisted end of life optionsfor patients. (California passed the law less than a year after Maynard’s death.)But Diaz says he has experienced pushback in his efforts to support doctor-assisted end of life legislation, especially from faith-based groups or figures. Other organizations, like theDisability Rights Education & Defense Fund, also argue against similar end of life laws, claiming they would be a “deadly mix” within the “broken, profit-driven health care system” of the U.S.Diaz says such laws are compassionate not just for the patients, but for their loved ones and caregivers.“That was Brittany’s whole point,” Diaz says. “Brittany said early on, ‘I refuse to die the way that this brain tumor will end my life.’ It’s the reason she spoke up, she wanted to have that bit of control, take that back from the disease, but then also make a difference for you and me and everyone else.“RELATED VIDEO: Deborah James on Choosing Where to Spend Her Final Days: It’s ‘Where I’ve Always Wanted to Die’“The hope is that your dying process will be gentle, and you don’t need to use the medication,” he continues. “She could truly focus on living her life because she didn’t have to be terrified of how the dying process went. Of course, the patient is the one that is suffering through the disease, but from the family’s perspective, they all go through that as well.““And for me, the relief that the medication provided Brittany, and her outlook on life, her desire to truly live the time that she had left, simplified things,” Diaz explains. “It made things a lot easier for me as her husband, for family, for friends, because the job simply becomes supporting Brittany.“For other people who are going through a similar, heartbreaking situation, Diaz suggests “being your own advocate” when it comes to voicing your medical — and end of life — wishes. He also advises patients to do their best to find a medical team supportive of those decisions.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.Though he doesn’t usually use social media, Diaz has continued to do outreach through theDan Diaz Brittany MaynardFacebook page, where he shares images from their time together and pictures from his trips to meet with legislators and advocates.Diaz says he will continue his work convincing leaders in more states to support medical aid-in-dying laws and to keep Maynard’s memory alive.“In Brittany’s own words, end of life options do not result in more people dying,” he says. “It results in fewer people suffering.”
Eight years after the death of his wife,Brittany Maynard, Dan Diaz is working to keep her memory alive — and continuing the fight for medical aid-in-dying laws legislation across the U.S.
In January 2014, Maynard was diagnosed withglioblastoma, a terminal form of brain cancer, at just 29 years old. Over the following weeks, she decided not to move forward with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, citing the likelihood the treatments would significantly decrease her quality of life, with no assurance they would extend the time she had left.
Maynard and Diaz then packed up their belongings and moved from their California home in the San Francisco Bay Area to Oregon, where Maynard would have access to the state’sEnd of Life Option Act. The law allows patients with terminal illnesses to end their lives with lethal medication under the supervision of their medical team. At the time, only five states had similar laws, and California wasn’t one of them.
Maynard continued to advocate for medical aid-in-dying legislation untilshe ended her lifeon Nov. 1, 2014.
Courtesy of Dan Diaz and TheBrittanyFund.org
“There were plenty of tough times, don’t get me wrong, but there is also the emotion of just being immensely proud of her wanting to make a difference for other people,” Diaz tells PEOPLE.
“That, for me, is what plays out in my mind,” he adds. “I’m able to grieve that Brittany’s gone but also feel pride in her.”
Since Maynard’s death, Diaz has continued to share her story and advocate for similar medical aid-in-dying laws across the country through theBrittany Maynard Fund. He also works alongside the Colorado-based nonprofitCompassion & Choices, which supports end of life options for terminally ill patients.
Diaz says he still has “good and bad days” in coping with his grief, but finds strength in all that has been accomplished since Maynard’s diagnosis.
Today, ten states — California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington — and the District of Columbia, permitdoctor-assisted end of life optionsfor patients. (California passed the law less than a year after Maynard’s death.)
But Diaz says he has experienced pushback in his efforts to support doctor-assisted end of life legislation, especially from faith-based groups or figures. Other organizations, like theDisability Rights Education & Defense Fund, also argue against similar end of life laws, claiming they would be a “deadly mix” within the “broken, profit-driven health care system” of the U.S.
Diaz says such laws are compassionate not just for the patients, but for their loved ones and caregivers.
“That was Brittany’s whole point,” Diaz says. “Brittany said early on, ‘I refuse to die the way that this brain tumor will end my life.’ It’s the reason she spoke up, she wanted to have that bit of control, take that back from the disease, but then also make a difference for you and me and everyone else.”
RELATED VIDEO: Deborah James on Choosing Where to Spend Her Final Days: It’s ‘Where I’ve Always Wanted to Die’
“The hope is that your dying process will be gentle, and you don’t need to use the medication,” he continues. “She could truly focus on living her life because she didn’t have to be terrified of how the dying process went. Of course, the patient is the one that is suffering through the disease, but from the family’s perspective, they all go through that as well.”
“And for me, the relief that the medication provided Brittany, and her outlook on life, her desire to truly live the time that she had left, simplified things,” Diaz explains. “It made things a lot easier for me as her husband, for family, for friends, because the job simply becomes supporting Brittany.”
For other people who are going through a similar, heartbreaking situation, Diaz suggests “being your own advocate” when it comes to voicing your medical — and end of life — wishes. He also advises patients to do their best to find a medical team supportive of those decisions.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.
Though he doesn’t usually use social media, Diaz has continued to do outreach through theDan Diaz Brittany MaynardFacebook page, where he shares images from their time together and pictures from his trips to meet with legislators and advocates.
Diaz says he will continue his work convincing leaders in more states to support medical aid-in-dying laws and to keep Maynard’s memory alive.
“In Brittany’s own words, end of life options do not result in more people dying,” he says. “It results in fewer people suffering.”
source: people.com
