Brittany Maynard, 29, died through the Death with Dignity Act in Oregon on Saturday, Nov 1. She had been diagnosed with glioblastomas earlier that year, which are highly aggressive and fatal tumors in the brain. Maynard was in for a painful, degrading death. Instead, she opted to, in her words, die on her own terms.

The Death with Dignity Act was enacted in Oregon in 1997. The law states that a terminally ill patient has the right to end their life through the voluntary self-administration of lethal medications, prescribed by a physician with the purpose of the patient dying. This act has been controversial, and frankly, misunderstood.

Death with Dignity is often referred to as Assisted Suicide. As Brittany Maynard said, “I do not want to die. But I am dying.” It is not suicide in any sense of the word. The act is set so only terminally ill patients may opt to die through legal administration of a lethal drug. On the same note, the patients don’t just walk in on a Tuesday morning shouting that they wish to die on their own terms, and die that night. It is a thorough process.

First, you must be a resident of Oregon that is over the age of 18. You must have been diagnosed with a terminal illness that will take your life within the next six months. Also, you must be able to communicate with your doctor in a level-headed manner that you wish to enact your right of Death with Dignity. The first step is the oral communication request. Secondly, fifteen days later you must make another request. Then, you must file a written request signed by two witnesses. If at any time a doctor suspects the patient of any psychological disorders, they are sent for further evaluation and treatment. Lastly, the drugs are not administered by the doctor. The patient must inject themselves with barbiturates, which will cause the patient to slip into a coma, and normally die within a half hour. This is a long, expensive process (that insurance will not pay for, by the way) that requires persistence and effort.

People who are diagnosed with a terminal disease lose so much before death. Obviously, it is different for each disease, but in most, the victim completely deteriorates, physically and mentally. These people, who are dying anyway, should be able to choose a more peaceful and less painful death. When a disease steals everything a person has, they should get to have one last choice over what happens to their body. They should get a final choice in their life, without being ridiculed and stigmatized like those who commit or attempt suicide often are.