Brittany Maynard

Brittany Maynard (pronounced: Brit-nee May-nard) was an American woman who became an advocate for the right to die movement after being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.

Etymology

The name Brittany is of Celtic origin and means "from Brittany", a region in the northwest of France. Maynard is an English surname derived from the Old French "mesnie", meaning household, and "hard", meaning brave or strong.

Early Life

Brittany Maynard was born on November 19, 1984, in Anaheim, California. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in psychology and later earned a master's degree in education from the University of California, Irvine.

Diagnosis and Advocacy

In January 2014, Maynard was diagnosed with grade II Astrocytoma, a type of brain cancer. Her condition quickly progressed to stage 4 glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive and deadly form of brain cancer. After being told she had six months to live, Maynard and her family moved to Oregon to take advantage of the state's Death with Dignity Act, which allows terminally ill patients to end their lives through the voluntary self-administration of lethal medications, expressly prescribed by a physician for that purpose.

Maynard used her remaining time to advocate for end-of-life options, partnering with the nonprofit organization Compassion & Choices to launch a video campaign that went viral. Her story brought renewed attention to the right-to-die debate in the United States and led to legislative efforts in multiple states to legalize assisted dying.

Death

Brittany Maynard died on November 1, 2014, in Portland, Oregon, after taking a lethal dose of barbiturates prescribed by her doctor under the provisions of the Oregon Death with Dignity Act.

Legacy

Maynard's advocacy has had a lasting impact on the right-to-die movement. Since her death, several states, including California, have passed laws allowing physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients.

Related Terms

• Physician-assisted suicide
• Terminal illness
• Palliative care
• Hospice care

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Brittany Maynard
• Wikipedia's article - Brittany Maynard

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