I recently read the article "My right to death with dignity at 29" by Brittany Maynard.  Brittany was a glioblastoma patient.  Glioblastoma is an aggressive form of brain cancer.  She wrote an article on her personal choice to use medically assisted suicide drugs.  While I have the upmost compassion and respect for the scary situation that all brain cancer patients face, I have to ultimately disagree with her decision to end her own life.  Let me tell you why.
     There were several things that she said that I fundamentally disagree with.  First, she states that the Dr. gave her six months to live as a prognosis.  It is wrong to assume that the doctors can really know.  They told my father the same thing and he lived three and a half years!  He may have been the exception, possibly, but I can promise you one thing; no man knows the time nor place that God has predetermined on her life.  Next, she speaks about the side effects of treatment as if they are absolute.  And she says that her quality of life, as she knew it would be gone.  Those side effects are possibilities that they must disclose; they are not givens.  Pertaining to her quality of life- I am certainly glad that my father did not feel this way because though he did not have the same quality of life that he had during his healthy years, those three and a half years were some of the most treasured moments of our relationship that we would have missed.
     She said that there was no treatment that could save her life.  There are new things discovered and new cures coming out at a rapider pace than ever before.  On top of that, miracles can and do still happen globally! GOD has the plan for her life.  Just today the world has stood back in awe of how God has showed up and showed off for Lamar Odom.  After 72 hours in a coma, suffering several strokes, four major organs in failure, and no signs of consciousness...it indeed looked like a miracle would be the only thing that was left to happen to save him.  Today, he awoke, he spoke, and I believe God is going to do a mighty work in his life for His glory! 
     She also states that she probably would have suffered in hospice care for weeks or even months.  The problem with this thinking is that there has been much research into the death and dying process.  The body has a way of protecting itself by systematically shutting down.  More times than not the individual feels no pain or even awareness as they journey down the last week or two towards their final destination.  She said that she could self-ingest to end my dying process if it becomes unbearable, but no man has the right to override the will of the Most High sovereign God.     Lastly, she says, "Now, I'm able to move forward in my remaining days or weeks I have on this beautiful Earth, to seek joy and love and to spend time traveling to outdoor wonders of nature with those I love. And I know that I have a safety net."  She could have done this anyways.  Happiness is a choice.  It is a state of mind.  A personal relationship with Jesus Christ would have given her the peace and joy she was seeking.  
     It is possible that in the time period between when she took her life and when God had it planned, that He also had planned a Divine Intervention.  She could have been a witness to others of His grace and mercy during that time; but now we will never know.  We have her words left behind, with no knowledge as to how much of it would have turned out to be right.  We are left with a lot of questions and uncertainties.  I deeply sympathize with brain cancer patients and their families, but we are not God to determine His will or timing for our lives.

Maynard, B. (2014). My right to death with dignity at 29. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/07/opinion/maynard-assisted-suicide-cancer-dignity/