BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Advocates and supporters of the End of Life Options bill gathered at the Massachusetts State House on Wednesday.
The End of Life Options Coalition lobbied in support of legislation that would help terminally ill patients have the option to end their lives.
“These are people who are terminally ill. They’re already dying,” explained Melissa Stacy, regional advocacy campaign manager with Compassion & Choices, a national group that advocates for expanded options for compassionate dying and end-of-life care.
“They’ve gone through all of the curative treatments, and so giving them this option brings peace of mind and gives them the opportunity to decide when they are done and live out their values to the end of their life.”
The Massachusetts End of Life Options Act (S. 1331 sponsored by Sen. Joanne Comerford and H. 2246 sponsored by Reps. James O'Day and Edward Philips) would allow mentally capable adults with six months or less to live the option to die peacefully in their sleep.
“This legislation is about empowering terminally ill patients to give them the option to request medication that they could self-ingest to bring about a peaceful death,” said Stacy.
The bill is modeled on laws like the Oregon Death with Dignity Act, shared Compassion & Choices on their website.
“It’s a very short, small list of people who would qualify and be eligible for this, but for those individuals going through terminal illness with breakthrough pain it really makes a huge difference,” added Stacy.
“The voices are growing and the momentum is growing. This is something that Massachusetts residents want, and we’re really hopeful this will be the year and that’s why we’re here today.”
Comeford’s bill is pending before the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
The legislation is opposed by leadership of the Archdiocese of Boston, like Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley.
“When we normalize physician-assisted suicide, we devalue life and remove any sense of hope,” said the cardinal in a Boston Globe opinion column.
WBZ NewsRadio's Carl Stevens (@CarlWBZ) reports.
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App | TikTok