Physician-assisted suicide

Katie Engelhart details the right-to-die movement in her new book, The Inevitable. She says that many patients in the U.S. are forced to act alone, without telling friends and family, because they fear their loved ones will be prosecuted after the fact.

Inside The Fight For The Right To Die: Logistical And Ethical Challenges

3:46pm March 09, 2021

by Terry Gross

Katie Engelhart explores the complexity of physician-assisted death in the book The Inevitable. She says patients seeking to end their own lives sometimes resort to veterinary drugs from overseas.

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Adox and Michaeli with their son, Orion, in the winter of 2015.

A Dying Man's Wish To Donate His Organs Gets Complicated

6:36am December 26, 2016

by Karen Shakerdge

Dying in America doesn't always go the way we plan. One terminally ill man's hope to be disconnected from his respirator and donate his organs was almost thwarted, despite his best laid plans.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, shown here in Japan last month, has publicly backed legislation on physician-assisted suicide.

Canada Legalizes Physician-Assisted Dying

12:45pm June 18, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

Canadian lawmakers have passed legislation to legalize physician-assisted death. It comes after an intense debate about who should be eligible for the option.

California Doctors Get Advice On How To Provide Aid In Dying

4:16pm October 13, 2015

by April Dembosky

Now that California has legalized aid in dying, doctors there need to know what to say to patients. They're getting help from doctors in Oregon, who have been answering these questions for decades.

Christy O'Donnell, who has advanced lung cancer, is one of several California patients suing for the right to get a doctor's help with prescription medicine to end their own lives if and when they feel that's necessary.

California Judge Throws Out Lawsuit On Medically Assisted Suicide

5:35pm July 27, 2015

by April Dembosky

The superior court judge says questions raised in the case should be decided by legislatures or voters, not the court. The terminally ill plaintiffs say they'll appeal his decision.

Jennifer Glass found out she had lung cancer four months after she got married. Here, her first round of chemo in February 2013.

'No One Should Have The Right To Prolong My Death'

7:14am July 09, 2015

by Robin Marantz Henig

Jennifer Glass was a newlywed when she was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. "I'm doing everything I can to extend my life," she says, while advocating for a right-to-die law in California.

Health & Safety

Legislators Introduce "Death With Dignity" Bill

10:57am April 13, 2015

by Neal Charnoff

The North Carolina Legislature is taking up the national debate over the right for a terminally ill individual to die on his or her terms.

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The Rev. Vernon Holmes leads a Lutheran congregation near Sacramento, Calif., that supports the state's right-to-die bill. He describes his faith as promoting quality of life.

California Faith Groups Divided Over Right-To-Die Bill

6:54pm April 03, 2015

by Pauline Bartolone

Many Christian denominations officially oppose legislation that would legalize medically assisted suicide. But some individual churches, pastors and congregants are lending support to the cause.

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Dan Swangard, a 48-year-old physician from San Francisco, was diagnosed in 2013 with a rare form of metastatic cancer.

Doctors With Cancer Push California To Allow Aid In Dying

2:55pm March 30, 2015

by Anna Gorman

Dr. Dan Swangard doesn't know if he would take lethal medications to hasten death. But as someone with metastatic cancer, he wants to have that choice. He's part of a suit to change California law.

Robert Schwimmer, 66, and his son Scott Schwimmer, 21, spoke with NPR about Robert's wish to hasten his death under certain circumstances. Here — as in the family photo above — they're in Kauai, Hawaii, on the family's "last big trip" after Robert rec

Health & Safety

Family Struggles With Father's Wish To Die

1:36pm February 02, 2015

by NPR Staff

Robert Schwimmer was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2013 and wants to hasten death if he finds himself in agonizing pain. His family stands ready to help, but have legal and spiritual concerns.

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