She was young, beautiful and terminally ill with a brain tumor so invasive and painful she chose to end her life in what advocates call “Death with Dignity.” The prescription for the lethal dose of barbiturates Brittany Maynard took was written by Dr. Eric Walsh of Oregon, where the protocol has been legal for 18 years. He will speak for the first time about the controversial practice on 60 Minutes in a report by CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook to be broadcast Sunday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. PT.
“When somebody is facing the end of their life, shouldn’t they be in control?” asks Walsh, who has prescribed the lethal medication to 19 others. “Shouldn’t I be able to help them when they’re suffering and the burden of their suffering becomes intolerable to them?”
Maynard, 29 at the time of her death, has become a symbol in a growing movement advocating that terminally ill people should have control over how they die. Several organizations, including Compassion & Choices, are pushing to pass laws to allow that. More…
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