[ APPLAUSE ]
>>> HER STORY MADE HEADLINES,
AFTER BEING DIAGNOSED WITH
TERMINAL BRAIN CANCER IN 2014, BRITTANY MAYNARD DECIDED TO DIE
ON HER OWN TERMS, ENDING
MEDICATIONS
MEDICATIONS MEDICATION PRESCRIBED BY HER
DOCTOR.
DOCTOR.
IT STARTED A CONVERSATION ABOUT
END OF LIFE RIGHTS, A MOVEMENT
THAT JUST SUFFERED A MAJOR SETBACK.T SUFFERED A MAJOR
SETBACK.
HERES A REMINDER OF BRITTANYS
STORY.
A YEAR AFTER GETTING MARRIED,
BRITTANY MAYNARD BEGAN SUFFERING FROM SEVERE HEADACHES. SUFFERING
FROM SEVERE HEADACHES. AT JUST 29 YEARS OLD, A DOCTOR
GAVE HER DEVASTATING NEWS.
SHE HAD STAGE 4 TERMINAL BRAIN
CANCER.
CANCER.
THE PROGNOSIS KEPT GETTING
WORSE.
>> IT WENT FROM A FEW YEARS TO
SIX MONTHS.
THIS CANCER WAS GOING TO KILL ME.S CANCER WAS GOING TO KILL
ME.
THE WAY IT WAS GOING TO KILL ME WAS TERRIBLE.S GOING TO KILL ME
WAS TERRIBLE.
>> Reporter: SHE DECIDED SHE
WANTED TO LIVE THE REST OF HER
LIFE ON HER OWN TERMS.
SO, BRITTANY AND HER HUSBAND, DAN, MOVED FROM CALIFORNIA TO
OREGON, AT THE TIME, WAS JUST
ONE OF FOUR STATE WHERES
TERMINALLY ILL PATIENTS COULD
LEGALLY GET DRUGS TO END THEIR
OWN LIVES.
OWN LIVES.
SHE CHRONICLED HER JOURNEY IN
VIDEOS WATCHED BY MILLIONS.
>> I CANT TELL YOU THE AMOUNT
OF RELIEF IT PROVIDES ME TO KNOW THAT I DONT HAVE TO DIE THE WAYW
THAT I DONT HAVE TO DIE THE WAY THAT ITS BEEN DESCRIBED TO ME,
THAT MY BRAIN TUMOR WOULD TAKE
ME ON ITS OWN.
>> Reporter: BRITTANY BECAME A
FIERCE ADVOCATE FOR DEATH WITH
DIGNITY LAWS.
DIGNITY LAWS.
>> I WILL DIE UPSTAIRS IN MY BEDROOM THAT I SHARE WITH MY
HUSBAND.
HUSBAND.
>> Reporter: ON NOVEMBER 1st,
2014, BRITTANY KNEW ON FACEBOOK SHE KNEW IT WAS TIME TO GO.BOOK
SHE KNEW IT WAS TIME TO GO. SURROUNDED BY LOVED ONES, SHE
TOOK THE MEDICATION THAT ENDED
HER LIFE.
HER LIFE.
>> IT TRULY WAS THE MOST
PEACEFUL EXPERIENCE THAT YOU COULD EVER HOPE FOR WHEN YOU
TALK ABOUT A PERSONS PASSING.
>> Reporter: SINCE HER DEATH,
DAN HAS TRIED TO FULFILL HIS
WIFES LEGACY, FIGHTING TO PASS
RIGHT TO DIE LAWS IN THREE MORE
STATES AND IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
ONE OF THOSE STATES WAS
CALIFORNIA, BRITTANYS HOME
STATE.
STATE.
AND JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, TWO
YEARS AFTER THE LAW TOOK EFFECT THERE, A JUDGE RULED ITK EFFECT
THERE, A JUDGE RULED IT UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
JOINING ME NOW, BRITTANY MAYNARD
MAYNARDS HUSBAND, DAN DIAZ.
SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE.
ITS A SETBACK. THERES NO QUESTION.
AND THE JUDGE HANG IT ON A
TECHNICALITY THE LAW WAS PASSED
WHEN THEY WERE IN SPECIAL
SESSION.
SESSION.
WHAT DO YOU REALLY THINK IS
GOING ON HERE?
>> THE PLAINTIFFS, THE
OPPONENTS, THEYLL DO WHATEVER THEY POSSIBLY CAN TO OVERTURN
THIS LAW.
THIS LAW. ITS FRUSTRATING BECAUSE 76% OF
CALIFORNIANS AGREE WITH
BRITTANY, THAT A TERMINALLY ILL
INDIVIDUAL SHOULD HAVE THIS
OPTION AT END OF LIFE.
SO, THE CASE BROUGHT FORTH BY
THE PLAINTIFFS WHO WERE OPPOSED
TO THIS LEGISLATION, AND NOW
THIS JUDGES RULING, REALLY SETS
US BACK TWO YEARS.
PEOPLE WHO ARE NOW IN BRITTANYS
PREDICAMENT, TERMINALLY ILL,
WITH SIX MONTHS OR LESS TO LIVE. THEY ARE NOW WONDERING, DO THEY.
THEY ARE NOW WONDERING, DO THEY HAVE TO LEAVE HOME SO THEY CAN
HAVE THIS OPTION?
>> HOW ARE YOU DOING?
>> I STILL HAVE, YOU KNOW, GOOD
DAYS AND BAD DAYS.
ITS FUNNY, SEEING THAT
INTRODUCTION OF BRITTANY BRINGS
BACK A LOT OF EMOTION.
THIS IS HOW I HONOR HER AND KEEP
MY PROMISE TO BRITTANY.
FIGHTING FOR TEMRMINALLY
IMINDIVIDUALS, SO NOBODY HAS TO
LEAVE HOME AFTER BEING TOLD YOU
HAVE SIX MONTHS TO LEAVE.
>> YOU HAVE TO LEAVE AND GO TO
UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY.
UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY. THE RELIGIOUS OPPONENTS, THEY
HAVE RELIGIOUS OBJECTIONS.
THEY SAY DOCTORS WIELD ENORMOUS
POWER AND COULD ABUSE IT.
IT COULD LEAD TO ELDER ABUSE.
ALL THE STUFF.
YOU HAVE A CATHOLIC.
YOU GET THE RELIGIOUS PIECE OF
THIS.
THIS.
>> TOTALLY.
ALL OF THOSE, WHAT I CALL THE
FALSE NARRATIVES, THE CAMPAIGN, THE OPPONENT IS BASED ON FEAR,,
THE OPPONENT IS BASED ON FEAR, NOT THE REALITY OF WHAT AN
INDIVIDUAL IS GOING TO.
I WENT TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL.
I WAS AN ALTAR BOY.
THE BISHOP PRESENTED ME AN AWARD
FOR SERVICE IN MY CATHOLIC
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY.
I AM WELL AWARE OF THE POSITION
OF THE LEADERSHIP OF THE CHURCH.
BUT INTERESTINGLY, AS FAR AS CONGRESSRESTINGLY, AS FAR AS
CONGRESS CONGREGANTS, IS 70%.
ITS IN LINE WITH THE GENERAL
POPULATION.
POPULATION.
>> BRITTANY HAD A COMMITMENT TO
LIVE HER LIFE WELL.
WHAT WAS LEFT OF HER LIFE, WELL. THE DECISION ABOUT DEATH WASELL.
THE DECISION ABOUT DEATH WAS MADE BY SOMEONE ELSE.
>> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. >> THATS WHAT PEOPLE MISS.
THIS ISNT THE SAME AS YOURE
UNHAPPY AND YOU CHOOSE TO END
YOUR LIFE PREMATURELY.
>> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. THE ONLY CHOICE THAT BRITTANY
HAS -- BRITTANY IS NOT CHOOSING
BETWEEN LIVING AND DYING.
THE CHOICE TO CONTINUE TO LIVE
IS NO LONGER ON THE TABLE FOR HER.O LONGER ON THE TABLE FOR
HER.
THE ONLY CHOICE THAT BRITTANY --
THE ONLY OPTION THAT SHE GETS TO
CHOOSE BETWEEN IS TWO DIFFERENT
METHODS OF DYING.
ONE WOULD BE GENTLE.
THE OTHER WOULD BE STRUGGLING
AND IN PAIN.
AND THATS WHERE BRITTANY SAID
THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE WOULD PREFER
TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AROUND THE
ROOM AND SAY, I LOVE YOU, TO THE
PEOPLE, TO HER FRIENDS AND
FAMILY.
AND THEN, HAVE A GENTLE DYING
PROCESS.
LEFT TO RUN ITS COURSE -- SHE
WAS ALREADY SUFFERING FROM PAIN
THAT NOT EVEN MORPHINE COULD ALLEVIATE.VEN MORPHINE COULD
ALLEVIATE.
THE INABILITY TO SLEEP FOR DAYS
ON END.
THE NAUSEA, THE MOMT INGVOMITING
SEIZURES WOULD TERRIFY HER THE
MOST.
THE SMALL SEIZURES WOULD PREVENT
HER FROM SPEAKING 20 TO 30 MINUTES. SPEAKING 20 TO 30
MINUTES.
WHEN SHE WOULD HAVE THE GRAND
MALL SEIZURES AND EVERYTHING IS CONTRACTING, BLOOD IS COMING OUT
OF HER MOUTH BECAUSE SHES
BITTEN THROUGH PART OF HER
TONGUE.
TONGUE.
THATS -- THANKS. THATS JUST THE REALITY OF WHAT
SHES DEALING WITH.
AND SO, FOR HER, WHAT COMES NEXT
IS THAT TUMOR CONTINUES TO GROW,
THE LIKELIHOOD SHE WOULD GO
BLIND, SHE WOULD BECOME
PARALYZED, THATS WHERE BRITTANY
SAID, I WILL NOT DIE THAT WAY.
I WANT TO BE MYSELF.
I WANT TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF
CONTROL ON HOW MY FINAL FEW DAYS
ON THIS GREEN EARTH PLAY OUT.
THATS WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS
ABOUT.
ABOUT.
>> SO MANY MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WANT DESPERATELY.NS OF AMERICANS
WANT DESPERATELY. I KNOW YOURE WORKING HERE IN
NEW YORK TO HELP US HAVE THIS
RIGHT.
RIGHT.
AND CALIFORNIA, ITS A SETBACK.
ITS BY NO MEANS FINAL.
WERE GOING THE CONTINUEO CONTIN
FOLLOW IT.
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE GOOD
WORK YOUVE DONE, DAN.
YOU HAVE THE EMPATHY OF EVERYONE
WATCHING.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> ALL OUR LOVE AND SUPPORT FOR
YOU.
WELL BE RIGHT BACK.