PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE OP-ED: ..My father did not drown in a lake, a river or an ocean. He drowned in a nursing home near Altoona. He had ALS. He died as his lungs gradually filled with fluid over an eight-day ordeal. He had a do-not-resuscitate order and a living will. The staff dutifully followed his pre-arranged orders: no IV fluids, only pain management…
For two years up through the last week of his life, my father asked me several times to help him end his life, for he knew the struggle ahead would be long and unkind, not only on him, but on our family as well…
I researched his options, offering to move him to Washington or Oregon, even Switzerland, to end his torment. He declined, choosing to stay and die in his beloved community, with his family and friends surrounding him… (more)
