State Legislators: Pass the Medical Aid in Dying Act In 2025 – Enough is Enough.
Almost 30 years ago, Oregonians decided that those facing a terminal illness deserved the right to choose when enough is enough and end their suffering. Since then, nine other states and Washington, D.C. have followed suit, granting dying individuals the profound gifts of bodily autonomy and the freedom to focus on making the most of their final days and weeks.
For the past decade, New Yorkers have been clamoring for these same rights. Yet, year after year, the Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) Act has been introduced in the State Senate and Assembly, only to be met with…nothing.
Like similar laws across the country, New York’s MAiD Act includes numerous safeguards and rigorous requirements designed to prevent misuse or abuse, protecting both patients and healthcare professionals.
And yet, while too many New Yorkers endure unnecessarily prolonged and agonizing deaths, leaders of the State Legislature can’t even muster the political courage to bring the bill to the floor for a vote.
Ten years. Not a single vote. It’s beyond enough.
I understand the political realities. Even though poll after poll shows that a majority of Americans – and New Yorkers – across the political spectrum support MAiD legislation, I’m sure it’s not seen as a big vote-getter.
Death and dying aren’t exactly popular conversation topics. As a society, we’ve become masterful at avoiding them.
Until last summer, I wasn’t much different. I’d been aware of the issue, ever since watching my grandmother’s slow death from cancer almost 20 years ago. I’d even donated to worthy organizations fighting for this cause.
But mostly, I was focused on living – trying to appreciate life’s joys and navigate its challenges as a seemingly healthy 50-year-old, living in Riverdale with my incredible wife and two daughters.
Then, last July, everything changed. I was diagnosed with aggressive stage three prostate cancer. (Men of a certain age, please, get those PSA levels checked!!)
For the past six months, I’ve been part of a phase two clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The treatments haven’t been pleasant, but they seem to be working: A recent MRI showed the tumors may have disappeared. It’s wonderful news, but the battle is far from over. By the time you read this, I will have undergone a radical prostatectomy, in the hope that the amazing medical team at MSK can remove any remaining cancer cells.
But with cancer – as with life – there are no guarantees.
I love my life. It’s overflowing with blessings, and I desperately hope for a long future, where I can continue to focus on the important job of living, and being there for my loved ones.
However, I can no longer afford the luxury of ignoring death. I know that a time may come when I could potentially qualify for medical aid in dying. And while I believe there is value in raging against the dying of the light… if the pain becomes unbearable, if I’m merely existing and not truly living, I want the option to go more gently into that good night.
I want that option for myself. I want it for my family and friends. I want it for every New Yorker facing a terminal illness today, or who might face one tomorrow.
Time is a precious, irreplaceable gift. I implore the New York State legislators: Don’t waste any more of it. A decade of inaction, while terminally ill people suffer and die, is unconscionable. Bring the MAiD bill to a vote this year. Show us where you stand on this fundamental issue of compassion and bodily autonomy.
Darren Chervitz lives in Riverdale with his wife and two daughters.
