The other one of us, Deborah Stern, suffers from myelodysplastic syndrome/chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. I want very much to live as long as I can and to be there for my family and friends. I am on weekly chemo to try to give myself more time. Ultimately, the only possibility of a cure for me would be a stem cell transplant and so far there have been no donor matches for me located in the world registries.

I dont believe God wants people to suffer. Knowing I have a peaceful dying option would enable me to live the rest of my life with a much better quality of life, taking the worry of increased suffering off the table.

It gave us great comfort that Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo recognized our reality when he announced his support for the Medical Aid in Dying Act last year: Pass the bill the older we get and the better medicine gets, the more weve seen people suffer for too, too long, he said. But we need our Assembly and Senate representatives to act before its too late for us.

Most New Yorkers, including doctors, agree. They also support medical aid in dying, according to recent polling by Quinnipiac University and Medscape-WebMD, respectively.

Washington, D.C., and nine states allow terminally ill adults to have the option of medical aid in dying, including New Yorks neighbors in Maine, New Jersey and Vermont.

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Another Voice: Terminally ill New Yorkers need a peaceful dying option - Buffalo News