Lynda Bluestein, a 75-year-old from Bridgeport, Connecticut has reached a settlement with the state of Vermont that will allow her to opt for euthanasia as long as she complies with the other provisions of Vermont’s decade-old law.
With this settlement, Bluestein who has terminal cancer can now choose how or when to go for euthanasia and whether her family, friends, and dog would be with her when the time comes.
“I was so relieved to hear of the settlement of my case that will allow me to decide when cancer has taken all from me that I can bear,” said Lynda Bluestein who has fallopian tube cancer.
Lynda Bluestein and Euthanasia
“The importance of the peace of mind knowing that I will now face fewer obstacles in accessing the autonomy, control, and choice in this private, sacred, and very personal decision about the end of my life is enormous,” Bluestein added.
The Vermont attorney general’s office said it was pleased to have reached an agreement.
“We hope that this settlement will help those involved as they navigate important decisions around end-of-life care,” said chief of staff Lauren Jandl.
Lynda Bluestein had three different cancer diagnoses and doesn’t want to die like her mother — in a hospital bed after a prolonged illness. She wants to die surrounded by her husband, children, neighbors, friends, and dog.
The Vermont law
Since 2013, the law allows physicians to prescribe lethal medication to state residents with an incurable illness that is expected to kill them within six months.
Vermont is one of 10 states that allow medically assisted suicide, but only one, Oregon, allows non-residents to do it. Bluestein’s settlement and pending legislation that would remove Vermont’s residency requirement offer a ray of hope to other terminally ill patients who want to control how and when they die.
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