Watchdog and Public Service Reporter, The Post and Courier
“Last Rights”
In her article “Last Rights” Hawes follows a patient with terminal cancer and his wife through their journey from life to death. A patient who wanted to be able to determine when and how he died by having access to assisted suicide in a state for which it is prohibited, instead has to face the pain and challenges of slowly dying over several weeks and the subsequent pain in suffering that resulted. Wanting to have planned his death with his children and wife beside him, he is eventually faced with a death with only his wife by his side and his children several hundred miles away. This article vividly describes why patients would want to be able to choose the right to die when they have no other option as they face the consequences of mortality. Having little control of their remaining days to weeks, why a terminally ill patient would want control over their death. Jennifer describes vividly the reasoning behind such wishes in both photo and words.