Death Should Be A Choice

On May 10, 2018, CNN published a story that has quietly stayed with me ever since. David Goodall, a 104-year-old Australian scientist, chose to end his life at a clinic in Switzerland. He wasn’t terminally ill, but he had lived long enough to know he was ready.

Goodall had spent years advocating for the legalization of assisted dying in Australia. When his home country continued to deny it, he took matters into his own hands. Literally.

“At my age, I get up in the morning. I eat breakfast. And then I just sit until lunchtime,” he told CNN, in the kind of brutally honest statement only someone at peace with death could make. “What’s the use of that?”

He wore a shirt that read “Aging Disgracefully” during his final interview. A little wink to the world before bowing out on his own terms.

Even before that article came out, my stand on assisted dying within clearly established parameters has always been the same: assisted dying should be a choice.

We Don’t Talk About Death Until We’re Forced To

Goodall's story reminds me of a quote I read somewhere that says anyone who is trapped within himself would do anything to be free.

Anything related to death - ours or our loved ones’ - is always difficult to talk about and feels like a topic better left untouched.

We’re taught to avoid it, to bury it under euphemisms like "passed on" or "gone too soon." But what about those who feel they've already gone - mentally, emotionally, spiritually - long before their body catches up?

What is it like for people, such as esteemed scientist Goodall, to outlive what they have dedicated all their lives to? What is it like to outlive your usefulness, your joy, your freedom?

Goodall's story struck a chord because I’ve seen this kind of silent suffering before.

When the Body Becomes a Cage

People like Goodall or Tia Bebe - a strong, fiercely independent woman who also fought for her right to die - aren’t asking for pity.

They’re asking for dignity. For choice. For some form of control in a situation where their body has betrayed them, but their mind remains painfully aware of the loss.

Tia Bebe’s case was especially heartbreaking. Her condition left her in agony, and even though she had long expressed her desire to go peacefully, the law wouldn’t allow her to. In the end, her disease took everything from her, including the choice to die on her terms.

We celebrate autonomy in every other aspect of life: careers, marriage, religion, even gender identity. So why do we struggle so much to grant that same autonomy at the very end?

Faith, Compassion, and the Freedom to Choose

Religion is one of the most difficult hurdles in the assisted dying debate. I understand that.

If your faith tells you that only a higher being has the right to determine when life ends, I respect that. You should absolutely be allowed to live and die according to those beliefs.

But that respect should go both ways.

Why can’t others have the same freedom to make choices based on their values, especially when those choices come from a place of clarity, pain, and longing for peace?

Why can't people who have come to terms that assisted dying is the way they want to go be given the same option to choose and decide?

Isn't it compassionate to give people the right to end their own lives the way they want to if their conditions have already placed them beyond any medical help and prevent them from living genuinely meaningful lives?

Assisted dying isn’t about giving up. It’s about acknowledging when enough is enough and giving people the legal, emotional, and medical support to say goodbye in a way that’s humane.

Of course, it can’t be a free-for-all. There have to be clear laws, safeguards, psychological evaluations, and medical documentation.

But with the right structure in place, it can be done ethically. It should be an option.

For Those Who Are Ready

At the end of the day, I think Mr. Goodall was right on point and summed it all up nicely when he said that he did not fear death but would "welcome it when it comes". Not because he hated life, but because he had already lived it well.

"The process of dying can be rather unpleasant, but it need not be," he said. "And I hope it won't be for me."

I hope so too, Sir. I hope wherever you are now, you’ve found the birdsong, the fields, and the independence you once loved. Thank you for showing us what a graceful exit can look like, even when the world isn’t ready to accept it yet.

P.S.

If you believe that Goodall is going to hell for choosing to face death head-on instead of waiting for it to slowly claim whatever is left of his life, please reserve your judgment and redirect your sentiments to animal abusers, rapists, murderers, and corrupt public officials.

A 104-year-old man choosing peace after a full and meaningful life? That’s not hell-worthy. That’s human.