Forwarded this email? Subscribe HERE |
HIGHLIGHT PIECE OF THE WEEK |
Young Woman With Anorexia Concerned About Assisted Suicide |
A young woman who survived anorexia sits down with her mother to talk about what assisted dying could mean for families like theirs. After hearing a parliamentary witness dismiss the assisted deaths of young women with eating disorders as “just one or two cases,” they reflect on how easily their own family could have been counted in that number, particularly given how hard it was to access treatment. |
|
|
| Want to help end assisted suicide?
Two generous donors have committed to matching all new and increased giving, dollar for dollar... UP TO $1 MILLION
Until the end of the year, your support goes twice as far to protect human dignity, expand access to real care, and help us with our litigation strategy to get to the Supreme Court and ensure that assisted suicide ends in the United States! Click below to donate today! |
|
|
A CALL TO ACTION - ILLINOIS & NEW YORK |
|
|
In the dark of night on October 31, the Illinois Senate passed a “Food Sanitation Bill.” Disgustingly, the language in SB 1950 has nothing to do with food sanitation and instead legalizes assisted suicide in Illinois with the minimum number of votes needed for passage. Since the bill had already passed in the House, it will now go to Governor.
Please act TODAY to contact Governor Pritzker, who has presidential ambitions, by clicking the link below and ask him to veto SB 1950 and keep Illinois free of lethal drugs that harm vulnerable patients! |
|
In April, the New York State Assembly passed, by a close vote of 81-67, dangerous and discriminatory assisted suicide legislation. During the last week of session, on Monday, June 9th, the New York State Senate approved assisted suicide by a vote of 35-27. A slim majority over the necessary 32 votes for passage. The bill will now head to the desk of Governor Kathy Hochul, who needs to hear from YOU. Click the link below to tell the Governor to VETO this bill! |
|
|
Latest Webinar Available For Viewing |
Dr. Mark Komrad, a leading psychiatrist and medical ethicist, gave an in-depth presentation on how assisted suicide endangers people struggling with mental illness. Dr. Komrad shared why expanding assisted suicide to psychiatric patients represents a serious threat to patient dignity. |
| Life After Challenges Status Quo of Assisted Suicide Debate |
Pam Heavens, Community Access Advocate for the United Cerebral Palsy Center for Disability Services, states, "People with disabilities face discrimination in healthcare. These include inaccessible medical equipment, diagnoses based on personal bias toward disabilities and a shameful dearth of high-quality care services. These factors all contribute to assisted suicide being an attractive option." |
|
Amber Smock Voices Concerns About Assisted Suicide For People With Disabilities |
Amber Smock, Vice President of Advocacy for Access Living, participated in a brief debate on assisted suicide. She advocates for Governor Pritzker to veto this bill because of the ways it puts people with disabilities at risk of coercion and abuse. |
|
|
John B. Kelly
The Patients' Rights Action Fund is saddened to share of the loss of John B. Kelly. John served as the Communications Director for Not Dead Yet and as Executive Director for Second Thoughts Massachusetts. He was a fierce advocate in the fight against assisted suicide and an exemplary disability advocate. Not Dead Yet's Executive Director, Ian McIntosh, shared a heartfelt tribute which you can read here.
We will miss his voice, his advocacy, and devotion to promoting human dignity. May he rest in peace. |
| Alice Wong The disability community lost another legend as Alice Wong, author and activist, has passed away.
Alice was the founder of the Disability Visibility Project, highlighting stories of people with disabilities and advocated to dismantle systemic ableism. You can read her full obituary here.
When the End Assisted Suicide plaintiff group filed a lawsuit in California, Alice joined Ingrid Tischer (an individual plaintiff) for a powerful roundtable discussion opposing assisted suicide law.
Alice's voice and fortitude is a great loss to the disability community. |
|
|
"End Assisted Suicide" is the group of plaintiffs suing the state of California to overturn the Assisted Suicide law there. Our 501(c)(3) sister organization, the Institute for Patients' Rights, has joined this ground-breaking lawsuit as a plaintiff. |
We’ve joined a federal lawsuit in Colorado with a coalition of national and Colorado-based disability and patient advocacy organizations - Atlantis ADAPT, United Spinal Association, Not Dead Yet, the Institute for Patients’ Rights, and Mary Gossman, a woman with anorexia.
The plaintiffs argue the Colorado assisted suicide law violates core protections under the U.S. Constitution and federal civil rights laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. |
If you’re in crisis, there are options available to help you cope. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at any time to connect with a trained crisis counselor. For confidential support available 24/7 for everyone in the U.S., call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. |
|
|
PRAF is a leading national, non-partisan single-issue organization that protects the rights of patients, people with disabilities, older adults, and other historically underrepresented groups from deadly harm and discrimination inherent in assisted suicide laws. |
|
Forwarded this email? Subscribe HERE |
954 Lexington Ave, #340 New York, NY 10021 (609) 759-0322 |
|
|
|
