Compassion & Choices advocates gather in Albany to urge Governor Hochul to sign the Medical Aid in Dying Act

The halls of the New York State Capitol echoed with song, hope, and urgency on Wednesday, October 8, as more than fifty supporters gathered in The Governor’s Reception Room, colloquially named “the War Room”, to call on Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the Medical Aid in Dying Act into law.

Dressed in Compassion & Choices’ bright yellow, attendees radiated warmth and determination. Many carried signs calling for the law’s adoption or bearing the faces of loved ones who fought and died before this bill could be passed. Each person reflected the years of advocacy that brought this movement to the brink of victory. As participants looked around at the murals and plaques depicting New York’s defining moments—from World War II to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act—the symbolism wasn’t lost. This was another chapter in the state’s long history of moral progress.

Supporters gather in the New York State Capitol building to advocate for medical aid in dying.

Standing in front of a crowd of supporters and a 4×6 foot poster board letter with more than 4,000 signatures from New Yorkers urging Governor Hochul to sign the bill into law, Campaign Director Corinne Carey opened the day, remarking on the arduous, decades-long journey that brought the bill to the brink of being signed. “We have testified at hearings, we have spoken in church basements. We have traveled the state from Montauk to Malone, from Buffalo to Brooklyn and everywhere in between.”

Campaign Director Corinne Carey delivers an opening message.

One by one several supporters stepped forward to share their story and how having the option of medical aid in dying available in New York would greatly benefit them. Dr. Jeremy Boal, a geriatrician diagnosed with ALS in November 2023 shared “When I first showed up in Albany to help advocate for this bill I was walking on my own two feet. The next time I showed up I had a cane…and now I’m [here] in a wheelchair…All of us want the option of medical aid in dying when we are in our terminal phase.” Dr. Boal was joined by South Bronx resident Jules Netherland, living with breast cancer, who reminded the crowd “medical aid in dying is not just about a good death,” they said. “It’s about a good life. We all want autonomy and peace at the end of our life. Moving to New Jersey is not an option for many of us.” Their stories carried through the halls, a reminder that this movement is built on real lives and relentless determination. The message to the Governor was unmistakable: New Yorkers are ready for medical aid in dying.

Dr. Jeremy Boal speaks about his ALS diagnosis and the urgent need for medical aid in dying in New York.

As the event went on, voices rose together in song:

“There is more love somewhere.

I will keep on till I find it,

There is more love somewhere.”

It was a fitting melody for a gathering defined by love; for autonomy, for dignity, and for those who have fought tirelessly for this cause.

The demonstration, organized by Compassion & Choices, culminated in the delivery of a sign-on letter to Governor Hochul’s office and a meeting with the Governor’s staff. The Medical Aid in Dying Act passed both chambers of the New York Legislature earlier this year, marking a historic step toward compassionate end-of-life options. The bill still awaits the Governor’s consideration.

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All photos are credited to Cindy Schultz.