Terminally Ill Cancer Patient Brittany Maynard Has Ended Her Own Life

Brittany Maynard, the 29-year-old terminally ill cancer patient who made a controversial public decision to end her life, has died.

Maynard's controversial story garnered heavy criticism, but also made others aware of the difficult situations that people with terminal illnesses are faced with. Maynard's story going viral made her somewhat of the unofficial face of the right-to-die movement.

On Saturday, at age 29, Brittany ended her own life at home in Portland, Oregon.

A spokesman for the Compassion & Choices non-profit confirmed her death on Sunday night.

Back in April, Brittany was was diagnosed with a Stage 4 malignant brain tumor. She moved her family from California to Oregon—a state that has the Oregon Death With Dignity Act, allowing her to legally die with prescribed medicine.

Maynard also created a fund to help push states to put doctor-assisted death laws into place. Currently, Montana, Washington, Vermont, New Mexico and Oregon are the only states that allow patients to seek doctor-assisted deaths.

According to the law in Oregon, in order for someone  they must be a capable adult who lives in state and has been diagnosed with a terminal illness that will lead to death within six months or less.

Her decision to end her life came as a shock to some, as she announced just earlier this week that she completed her bucket list and was potentially postponing her initial plan to end her life Saturday—two days after her husbands birthday on October 30.

Before taking her life, she posted this entry on Facebook:

Goodbye to all my dear friends and family that I love. Today is the day I have chosen to pass away with dignity in the face of my terminal illness, this terrible brain cancer that has taken so much from me … but would have taken so much more. The world is a beautiful place, travel has been my greatest teacher, my close friends and folks are the greatest givers. I even have a ring of support around my bed as I type … Goodbye world. Spread good energy. Pay it forward!

When asked about her legacy, Maynard said she wanted her family and her husband to remember her as a "good woman" who tried her best to be a "good daughter and a good wife."

May Brittany finally rest in peace.

[via People]