ALBANY, N.Y. - On a spring morning in Albany, New York, a group of people gathered at the Capitol to share poignant stories of grief and suffering.
They lit candles and read aloud the names of 22 people who have lost their lives while waiting for their cause to be heard: The right to die "with dignity."Outside and in the same room, a smaller group of advocates emerged.
They held signs and stood strong with their own message for lawmakers to hear: "Not dead yet."New York is one of several states where lawmakers have introduced bills to legalize medical aid-in-dying, which allows doctors to prescribe lethal medication to terminal, mentally competent patients with a prognosis of six months or less to live — if they ask for it.
It’s currently legal in 10 states and Washington, D.C. Proponents say these laws allow people to end their lives on their own terms, without the drug-resistant physical and emotional suffering that often comes with terminal illness.