Lynda Brooks-Bracey

Diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer, Las Vegas resident Lynda Brooks-Bracey (1965-2023) dedicated much of her last months of life to advocating for the option of medical aid in dying in Nevada. She passed away on June 23, 2023, without that option available to her.

Lynda shared her story with Compassion & Choices in September of 2022. She passed away on June 23, 2023, without access to the end-of-life care option she had so fiercely advocated for.

The following excerpt is from the op-ed, “ Dying mom pleads for medical aid-in-dying law,” by Lynda Brooks-Bracey that first appeared in the Las Vegas Sun on March 26, 2023. 

As a Christian, I’m not afraid of where I’m going after I die. My faith is deeply rooted in God.

What scares me is dying in pain and leaving my children so early in their lives. It’s unfair to force my family to watch me die in the kind of pain pancreatic cancer so often causes.

What mother doesn’t want to be around to be a part of her kids’ lives and support them through the good and the tough times? I will not get the opportunity to see all my kids get married, cheer them on at their college graduations, or hold my grandchildren.

I am dying — and sooner than any of us would like.

And so I am urging members of the Legislature, although I might not be alive to see the outcome of this bill, to listen to my story.

Read More

Las Vegas Sun - An open letter to Nevada’s governor

Nevada Independent - As lawmakers again debate medical aid in dying, patients and doctors say it’s far from simple