Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Advertisements
Advertisements

State lawmaker has personal ties to a proposed ‘death with dignity’ bill

Bill would allow terminally ill adults to end their lives
State lawmaker has personal ties to a proposed death with dignity bill
Flickr user wiadcc

A new bill introduced by Rep. Sondy Pope, D-Cross Plains, aims to allow adult residents who have been diagnosed with terminal illness to make “compassionate decisions” about the end of their lives.

When Pope’s husband was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2001, they both knew that the final months of his life would be full of copious amounts of pain medication and suffering would likely occur, she said.

“Pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult cancers in that it is very painful, and one of the few remedies of course is a lot of pain medication, like morphine, which often puts you into a more comatose state,” Pope said.

Advertisements

At the time, Pope and her husband disscussed the possibility of making a “compassionate decision” to end his life prior to when the disease ran its course, she said. However, at the time, Oregon was the only state where that option was legal, and eligible patients have to be residents of Oregon for six months. The national life expectancy for individuals diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the time was four years.

The bill she is introducing aims to allow those above 18-years-old with sound mind and less than six months to live the option to make the decision based on their own experiences, hopes and expectations.

“My husband and I did talk about it once the initial diagnosis was made and it settled in that it was a terminal illness, he did indicate that he wished that there was some way to do this without the suffering and without guessing at when it would all end before he lost all control,” Pope said. “[However,] we didn’t talk about it a lot because it wasn’t a legal option in Wisconsin.”

Although Pope doesn’t feel optimistic about the bill passing in this legislative session, she said she hopes that it will start a conversation moving forward.  According to Pope, a recent Gallup poll showed seven out of 10 people support the idea of assisted suicide, and she said she foresees it is only a matter of time before it becomes law not only in Wisconsin, but nationwide.

The national group Death with Diginity advocates to help pass legislation similar to Oregon’s 1994 law. Following the death of Oregon-resident Brittany Maynard, the organization has seen increased debate on the issue nationally, said Peter Korchnak, a Death with Dignity spokesperson.

Korchnak said laws similar to Oregon’s help not just the patient who uses the law, but also his or her family, by allowing “peace of mind” that they were able to die the way they lived. Within the next 10 years, Korchnak said Death with Dignity hopes to have 10 states who have similar legislation.

“It allows people the peace of mind in knowing that unnecessary suffering is prevented,” Korchnak said. “It really is an issue that has been on the forefront of more and more people around the country.”

Other organizations, including Wisconsin Right to Life, have come out against “assisted” or “doctor-prescribed suicide” bills like this.

Chelsea Shields, legislative director for Wisconsin Right to Life, said in a statement she believes such a bill would target certain segments of the population unfairly.

“Legislation circulating in the Wisconsin Legislature to legalize doctor-prescribed suicide will create a devastating impact on older people and those with disabilities should it be enacted,” Shields said. “The reasons why this legislation is dangerous to vulnerable populations are many, making it a recipe for elder abuse.”

If passed, Wisconsin would join Oregon, Washington and Vermont as the fourth state to allow assisted suicide for the terminally ill.

Advertisements
Leave a Comment
Donate to The Badger Herald

Your donation will support the student journalists of University of Wisconsin-Madison. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

More to Discover
Donate to The Badger Herald

Comments (0)

All The Badger Herald Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *