What happens when the law gives you a choice, just not the one you need? For Americans living with illnesses like dementia, ALS, or advanced heart failure, medical aid in dying is often out of reach. Even in states where it’s legal, strict rules limit access to those who are both terminal and fully capable of making and carrying out the request. Many never meet both requirements at the same time.  As a result, some families turn to the only option left: leaving the country. 

What if the law makes you wait until it’s too late to choose at all?  For people with illnesses like dementia or other progressive neurodegenerative diseases , this is not a thought experiment. It’s the corner they’re backed into by the way medical aid in dying (MAiD) laws work in the U.S.  The law requires:  A terminal diagnosis with six months or less to live  Mental and physical capacity to request and self-administer the medication  For people with progressive illnesses,

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