Death doulas and end-of-life rights: The debate on assisted dying

As assisted dying becomes legal in a growing number of US states, are people being given a right to choose how they die – or are they dying before their time?

Listen to this story: A few years ago, I spent a lot of time in bed. I had developed holes in my dura – the thick covering that surrounds the spine and brain – that were leaking cerebrospinal fluid. Every time I would sit up, I would get hit by a wave of dizziness and nausea, and the pain in my head from low brain pressure would become unbearable. Many times, I would faint, passing out on the floor or in bed. My world began to shrink, until it was just me, a dark, cool room, and my husband and young daughter popping in throughout the day – my husband to ask if I needed anything, my daughter for anxious hugs. I had gone from being a pastry chef, newlywed and new mother to a life that felt terrifying and meaningless. My brain began to shrink too. Conversations were painful, sunlight was excruciating, even reading a book became impossible. My brain, thirsting for cerebrospinal fluid, the blood of the brain and nervous system, was being squeezed and sucked down into my spinal canal at the base of my skull, causing all kinds of nasty neurological symptoms. It took years to be properly diagnosed, and more years on top of that to be successfully treated.