Please meet me on Wednesday April 9th at Legislative Hall in Dover to testify on House Bill 140, Medical Aid in Dying. If you can’t attend in person, please call or email your senator today. More information here:
Here is my planned testimony:
Medical aid in Dying is about autonomy. Patients—not institutions or professional organizations—should have the right to decide how they live and how they die. Medical aid in dying gives terminally ill, mentally competent adults one more option, without forcing it on anyone.
Five years ago, my wife died from ovarian cancer. Despite hospice care, her pain became unmanageable. We had agreed that if faced with terminal illness, we wanted the choice to avoid needless suffering—but in Delaware, that choice didn’t exist.
Organized medicine’s resistance is rooted in outdated paternalism and explains why the Medical Society of Delaware recently took a neutral stance on this issue. Over 70% of Delaware physicians support Medical Aid in Dying and trust their patients to make informed choices.
Extensive data from other states is clear: MAID is safe, well-regulated, and compassionate and there is no slippery slope.
House Bill 140 honors patient autonomy. It’s time to stop denying people control over their final days. Pass this bill and let Delawareans choose a death consistent with their values—not someone else’s.
Dr Bob, Brain Mechanic 