What my husband’s death taught me about assisted suicide
The Boston Globe
Last updated: June 15, 2026
The author, a former prochoice elected official, opposes physician-assisted death legislation in Massachusetts, not due to existing end-of-life care quality, but because it distracts from necessary systemic reforms. Her personal experience with her husband's terminal illness highlighted severe deficiencies in the healthcare system's support for dying patients and their families.
- The author's husband's failing kidney transplant and subsequent dialysis led to a heartbreaking realization of his impending death, underscoring the deep love motivating supporters of assisted death but also revealing the healthcare system's inadequacy. Despite access to top-tier care, their family faced indignities and bureaucratic chaos during his final months, emphasizing the need for systemic improvements over assisted death.
- The author advocates for three critical reforms: expanding hospice eligibility to include kidney dialysis patients on life-prolonging treatments, fostering radical honesty from physicians through training and reimbursement models that incentivize end-of-life conversations, and mandating end-of-life planning consultations for seniors, similar to well-baby visits, to ensure proper documentation like MOLST forms are in place before a crisis.
- She believes that the deepest suffering is emotional and spiritual, not solely physical, and that physician-assisted suicide risks losing precious final moments. Instead, she urges for a reformed healthcare system that provides truth, dignity, and genuine support for dying patients, presenting it as a more compassionate and effective approach than offering an "exit ramp."
