2 months ago
14
A
terminally ill
woman from Missouri, US is preparing to travel to
Switzerland
for a
physician-assisted death
. Gayle Hendrix has been battling lupus and interstitial lung disease for four years and says her lung capacity is steadily worsening, leaving her eager to maintain control over her final moments.
“I’ve had a great life, and I want to have some dignity when I’m going to the next phase,” Hendrix told 12 KFVS.
She plans to make the journey with her daughter, Charlene Foeste, and end her life on September 26.
Hendrix led an active lifestyle filled with hiking and travel but now struggles to breathe and must rely on an oxygen machine. She explains that her decision to travel to Switzerland stems from not wanting to wait until she is no longer physically able to make the journey.“I don’t want to get to the point of, ‘This is existing, not living,’” she said.
The 79-year-old's decision has sparked difficult conversations within her family. Her daughter, Charlene, admits she doesn’t agree with her mother’s choice but feels it’s not her place to interfere. “It’s not my choice. I do love her and support her,” Foeste said. “There’s no way on the planet my mum is going to do this alone, no way.”
Physician-assisted death is legal in 10 US states and Washington DC, but Hendrix chose Switzerland due to restrictive
US regulations
, which require patients to have less than six months to live. Hendrix believes waiting until she’s closer to death would rob her of control. “I don’t want to wait that long,” she said. “I don’t want to get that sick.”
Hendrix has long been an advocate for
assisted suicide
. Her journey to Switzerland was delayed due to a lack of available appointments, but the process was eventually set in motion.
Although some of Hendrix’s friends and family disagree with her decision, she remains determined. “I just am peaceful about my decision, and it’s the right thing for me and my body,” she said, as per Fox News.
