An intimate portrayal of assisted dying
A powerful new documentary captures the final hours of Jessica Lantz, a terminally ill woman who chose to end her life through Oregon’s assisted dying law. Lantz, 43, had been battling dermatomyositis, a rare autoimmune disease that had progressively deteriorated her body over a decade. Her final 47 hours were documented by an ITV film crew in Oregon before she took life-ending medication on February 12. As she bid farewell, she left a poignant message: “Good luck to everyone in the UK.
A difficult but conscious choice
Lantz made the deeply personal decision to set a date for her death, explaining, “You can feel yourself dying, not just the pain or the things you associate with being sick, but you can feel your body dying. I don’t think I will live much beyond February at all. It’s terminal, so there’s no real argument. It’s just, do you want to see me in a coma or not?”
Her condition had left her body severely weakened, and she was acutely aware of the painful ways in which the disease could ultimately take her life. “Depending on which way it goes, my kidneys will shut down, I’ll have a major heart attack or stroke, or I just won’t be able to breathe, or I’ll starve to death,” she shared.
Oregon’s long-standing assisted dying law
Oregon became the first U.S. state to legalize assisted dying in 1997, and its law has remained largely unchanged for nearly three decades. The legislation permits terminally ill adults who are mentally competent and have a prognosis of six months or less to live to request life-ending medication. The process includes thorough evaluations by two doctors to ensure eligibility.
After receiving medical approval, Lantz was prescribed a combination of drugs, including a sedative, an anti-nausea pill, and a powdered medication that she mixed with apple juice. She kept the medication in a locked box until the moment she was ready.
Emotional final moments
In a conversation with ITV’s Paul Brand, just 40 minutes before taking the final dose, Lantz expressed her emotions: “I’m not having any second thoughts or doubts. It’s just more overwhelming and sad. I feel like I’m going to miss everybody.”
She emphasized that having control over the timing of her death allowed her and her loved ones to prepare, avoiding the unpredictability of a drawn-out, painful passing. “It’s better to be prepared for today rather than it being a surprise in two or three weeks,” she said.
Lantz spent her final moments in the company of her best friend, Wendy, who later shared details of her peaceful passing. “She drank it and did fall asleep pretty quickly. She slept very peacefully the whole time. It took about three hours. It went just the way she would have wanted it to go,” Wendy said.
Legislative debate on assisted dying continues
The documentary arrives at a pivotal moment in the debate over assisted dying laws. In the UK, Labour MP Kim Leadbeater’s assisted dying bill is currently undergoing detailed scrutiny, with MPs expected to vote on the legislation next month. The bill proposes similar eligibility criteria to Oregon’s law, ensuring access to medically assisted dying for those with terminal illnesses.
The discussion surrounding end-of-life choices remains a contentious yet increasingly urgent issue as advocates push for legislation that grants patients greater autonomy over their final moments.
