A 25-year-old is choosing to end her life with medical aid in dying after living with debilitating pain for the majority of her life. Annaliese Holland from Adelaide, South Australia, spent most of her childhood in the hospital suffering from an unknown illness. Her health significantly declined over the years as she dealt with a slew of symptoms, including daily chronic pain, nausea and vomiting. For the past 10 years, she’s also been on total parenteral nutrition which she calls her “safety blanket” and a weight off her shoulders. Medical aid in dying (MAID) is legal in every state in Australia for those who are terminally ill, mentally competent adults. MAID or VAD are different from euthanasia which is illegal because the patients themselves administer prescribed drugs to end their lives, rather than a doctor. “I think it’s so weird to be happy, but I was so happy when I found out I was approved, I was crying,” Annaliese said. “It’s hard because for me I am in pain and then I am at peace, but then I put the pain onto my family. You have this battle in your head of not wanting to hurt them so I will put some thought into how it will happen.” “For me, I don’t want to have to wake up every day with anxiety about the pain that I know is ahead for me. The pain of starving to death when they can’t feed me anymore, or the horror of sepsis. Knowing I can go when the time is right is just a huge relief,” she explained. “I feel so lucky that I do have this choice.”.
https://people.com/25-year-old-terminal-illness-medical-aid-in-dying-11851857
25-Year-Old Will End Her Life with Medical Aid in Dying After Years of ‘Debilitating’ Illness: ‘Please Let Me Go’
