Illinois Governor Pritzker recently signed a bill that gives terminally ill patients the option of medical aid-in-dying. It’s a big deal because Illinois is now the first state in the Midwest to allow this and the 12th state in the country to do so.
The law isn’t about making things easy; it’s about giving people a choice when they’re facing the hardest part of life. For a lot of folks, it’s about having some dignity and peace of mind at the end. It means having the autonomy to decide how things happen on your own terms, rather than just letting things take over.
To be clear, there are strict rules in place. A patient has to be an adult with a terminal illness, meaning they have a life expectancy of less than six months as determined by two different doctors. They also have to be of sound mind and make the request themselves.
This bill is also known as “Deb’s Law.” It honors Deb Robertson, a lifelong Illinois resident who lives with a rare terminal illness. She has spent a lot of time advocating for this because she knows firsthand what it is like for families and individuals to struggle with a terminal diagnosis while trying to find a way to end their lives with some sense of peace.
You can read more about the bill and the governor’s press release here: Governor Pritzker signs bill expanding end-of-life options for terminally ill patients.
What Other States Have Learned#
Illinois isn’t breaking new ground on its own. Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act took effect in 1997, so there’s almost three decades of data to look at. The Oregon Health Authority publishes a report on it every year. A few things stand out. The number of people who use the law each year is small compared to the total number of deaths in the state. And a meaningful share of people who get the prescription never take it. For many patients, simply having the option provides comfort and a sense of control, even if they never use it. The most common end-of-life concerns patients report aren’t about pain alone. They’re about losing autonomy and losing the ability to do the things that made life enjoyable.
Have the Conversation Now#
Whatever you think about this law, the bigger lesson is that end-of-life decisions are easier to make before a crisis. A few practical steps everyone should take, at any age:
- Name a health care power of attorney, someone who can make medical decisions for you if you can’t.
- Write down your wishes in an advance directive or living will.
- Talk to your family so they’re not guessing during the worst week of their lives.
- Ask your doctor about a POLST form if you have a serious illness. It turns your wishes into medical orders.
Anyone that simplifies the law and the situation to call it suicide is seeing a black-and-white world without compassion and without the reality that some have to go through. If you don’t want to use it, don’t. Your line-in-the-sand and your religious beliefs are yours and shouldn’t affect me.
I hope I never find myself in that situation, but it’s a little peace of mind to know that I could have that option if need be. It seems common sense to let people have a say in their own lives, especially when things are at their worst.
