COMMENTARY: Painful death ahead: Cancer victim speaks out

It was New Year’s Day, but Sidney Cohen cared nothing about the year ahead. He longed to be killed. He had been diagnosed with cancer less than two months before, when his physician told him he could expect to die a painful death within three months. He was "bed bound by pain and weakness, having been able to drink only water for six weeks." He was "desperate, isolated, and frightened." He said, "I truly wished that euthanasia could have been administered."

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Six months later, having lived over four months longer than expected, Sidney Cohen had a different perspective. Since receiving home hospice care, he said, "My pain has been relieved completely, my ability to enjoy life restored, and my fears of an agonizing end allayed." He was eating normally. He and his wife had accepted his pending death and were able to discuss it openly.

"My experiences have served to convince me that euthanasia, even if voluntary, is fundamentally wrong and I’m now staunchly against it on religious, moral, intellectual, and spiritual grounds," he said. "My wife’s views have changed similarly."

Sidney Cohen’s change of heart, as described by ethicist Arthur Dyck in his book, Life’s Worth: The Case Against Assisted Suicide, illustrates one of the many problems with assisted suicide and euthanasia. Proper care, including pain relief, can transform a person’s view of dying.

While the American Medical Association says doctor-assisted suicide "is fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer, would be difficult or impossible to control, and would pose serious societal risks," organizations such as the Hemlock Society and Choice in Dying aggressively promote assisted death—even for people who are not terminally ill.

The fact that a terminally or seriously ill person’s attitude toward life and death can change radically with the proper care has not kept backers of assisted suicide and euthanasia from pushing for their legalization. Unfortunately, they have won a few victories.

While the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that states have the authority to outlaw assisted suicide, the decision did not prohibit state legislatures from making it legal. After a long and contentious campaign and a statewide ballot, assisted suicide took effect in Oregon in 1997.

Since then, records show that Oregon doctors have helped over 100 people commit suicide. Efforts to legalize assisted suicide are mounting in Hawaii and Vermont. In courts across America, family members, doctors, and hospital administrators seek permission to withhold food and water from disabled patients.

What’s the answer? End-of-life issues are particularly difficult to work through, especially if the issue is not addressed until a family member is diagnosed as terminally ill. Living Wills (Advance Directives) ensure patients’ rights are preserved and their preferences honored even when they cannot communicate or oversee their care and medical treatment. We should insist on compassionate, caring end-of-life alternatives that acknowledge God’s sovereignty over our lives, such as that provided by hospice programs.

As our loved one walks through the valley of the shadow of death, we should assure them that they will not die in pain and will not die alone. Humans deserve holistic care at all stages of life, wherein their medical, spiritual, and emotional needs are addressed. God gives us life. We dare not be capricious in allowing another’s life to be taken–no matter how dire the situation appears.