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| Alex with Jeanette Hall |
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
We received a message from Jeanette Hall who commented on the article concerning France legalizing euthanasia. Jeanette wrote:
Alex. It is 26 years (July 17, 2000) that I learned I had terminal colon cancer and wanted to follow that same course with Oregon's law and asked Dr. Kenneth Stevens to help me end my life. I pray there are many Dr. Stevens in France that will want to see their patient live. Still "Great to be Alive."Dr Kenneth Stevens is a physician in Oregon who helped Jeanette find a reason to live.
The text from the youtube video explaining the story.
The patient that I specifically recall is a patient by the name of Jeanette Hall. She was referred to me by her surgeon. She had a low rectal cancer.
So when I saw her I told her what she had, I told her we could treat it with radiation and chemotherapy and said that this is potentially treatable.
She said I don't want to go through all that. I had an Aunt who lost her hair and I don't want to lose my hair.
She went back and saw the surgeon. The surgeon told her that if she wasn't treated that she would be dead within 6 months or a year.
The Oregon law says that if life expectancy is 6 months you qualify for the law so I could have written her a prescription for the lethal medication at that time.
She came back and I talked with her again and she said: why aren't you giving me the pills? I want the pills.
I learned more about her. I learned that she had a son who was going to the police academy. I said:
Wouldn't you like to see him graduate? That really made her think that I really have something to live for.
She really struggled in her mind as to whether she was going to be treated or not treated. She finally accepted the treatment, it took a few weeks to give, it was not easy, she actually did lose her hair and her hair grew back and she was able to attend her son's graduation from the police academy.
Five years later, my wife and I were at a restaurant and she was there with a friend and she came over and she said:
Doctor Stevens, you saved my life. If I had gone to a doctor that believed in assisted suicide I would not be here. I'd be dead.
More information about Jeanettte Hall.
So when I saw her I told her what she had, I told her we could treat it with radiation and chemotherapy and said that this is potentially treatable.
She went back and saw the surgeon. The surgeon told her that if she wasn't treated that she would be dead within 6 months or a year.
The Oregon law says that if life expectancy is 6 months you qualify for the law so I could have written her a prescription for the lethal medication at that time.
She came back and I talked with her again and she said: why aren't you giving me the pills? I want the pills.
I learned more about her. I learned that she had a son who was going to the police academy. I said:
Wouldn't you like to see him graduate? That really made her think that I really have something to live for.
She really struggled in her mind as to whether she was going to be treated or not treated. She finally accepted the treatment, it took a few weeks to give, it was not easy, she actually did lose her hair and her hair grew back and she was able to attend her son's graduation from the police academy.
Five years later, my wife and I were at a restaurant and she was there with a friend and she came over and she said:
Doctor Stevens, you saved my life. If I had gone to a doctor that believed in assisted suicide I would not be here. I'd be dead.
More information about Jeanettte Hall.
- Patients recovery convinces doctor to fight assisted suicide (Read).
9 comments:
What a beautiful story! Thank you for sharing it.
A lovely encouraging story of hope. So unlike what we have been reading. We need more of the same.
I did not know that it was offered 20 some years ago already, what a beautiful story.
Kudos to Dr. Stevens.
The CTV television channel "CTV Life" is continuously airing the Dying With Dignity ads of stories about people who chose MAID. Maybe someone with $$$ should make some counter ads with stories like this woman who lived to tell her story and didn't leave it up to her family to go on television to tell of her suicide.
Note the irony of the name of the tv channel = CTV 'Life'!!!!
Praying that more doctors will be convinced to pursue life with their patients. Thanks for the hopeful story.
I (and probably many other doctors) have several similar stories. I tell briefly one that I remember best, a widow of about 50 or 60 years as I recall. She had very severe thyrotoxicosis with associated thyroid I disease also very severe. I treated her together with the ophthalmic surgeon who treated the eye disease. On multiple occasions she pled with both of us to end her life. Fortunately at that time we could tell her that this was completely illegal. Both of us encouraged her to stay with us for treatment. I knew she had children because she had told me about them. I asked her several times whether she would not like to learn to know her grandchildren. After about two years of very difficult treatment I finally controlled her thyrotoxicosis completely and the surgeon managed to restore nearly normal anatomy for her eyeballs and if not normal, fairly good vision. She then moved to the Maritimes to be close to her family. Years later I received a letter from her thanking me profusely for refusing to consider ending her life. In today's Canada she would undoubtedly have been dead.
I'm not sure why they call suicide "dying with dignity". There is absolutely no dignity in killing yourself.
I don't call suicide "dying with dignity". We oppose euthanasia and assisted suicide and we don't consider it dignified.
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