Terminally Ill Woman Chooses to End Her Life Under the Effects of Magic Mushrooms
A California woman recently chose to end her life under the effects of magic mushrooms after receiving a stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis some 18 months ago.
For the past year, Roseana Spangler-Sims – a mom of one – took on an intensive round of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, but her cancer continued to spread.
So in June, the 72-year-old decided to take matters into her own hands under California’s Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) law, which allows a terminally ill adult with a life expectancy of 6 months or less to end their life with an aid-in-dying drug.
Under this particular law, the terminally ill person must be a California resident and must request the drug from their physician, and participation by their physician is optional.
People who choose to end their lives this way aren’t legally considered to have committed suicide either, if they carefully follow the steps of the law.
Before taking the fatal dose on August 31 of this year, she revealed her plans for her final days on Earth, which involved taking a micro dose of magic mushrooms just one hour before taking her final dose of anti-nausea medication and a combination of sedatives and narcotics.
“I want it to go as quickly as possible. I don’t want the kids to sit here and look at me half dead for too long. I want to be out,” she said.
“I can’t wait to be numb,” she added. “I can’t wait to make my body just melt away. For months and months it’s been constant pain. It will be a relief.
“I feel ready to fade,” she continued. “I believe I’m going off to a peaceful plane of existence. It’s like going into another dimension. Hopefully I’ve served the greater good enough that I can get to that peaceful place, what people think of as heaven.
In the end, Roseana was able to spend some of her final moments with her family during living wake to say their goodbyes.
So long, Reseana. May we all have courage like yours when our time comes.
