Carrying my son’s legacy by standing with dying Californians. Pass SB 403.
It is hard to imagine how a mother could find peace after losing her only son.
I have.
Two years have passed since my son, Andrew (Drew) Flack, died—just the way he hoped he would: peacefully in his sleep, without pain, after a courageous battle with aggressive colorectal cancer. Drew was only 34 years old when he died at his home in Oceanside on November 16, 2022.
End of Life Option Act
Andrew died peacefully because he used California’s End of Life Option Act. Under this compassionate law, terminally ill, mentally competent adults with six months or less to live have the option to request a prescription for medication they can take to die peacefully.
On Wednesday, [April 23] legislators will consider Senate Bill 403, a bill authored by Senator Catherine Blakespear that would only amend the End of Life Option Act, by removing a sunset clause that would make medical aid in dying a permanent option in California.
For the last 10 years, the End of Life Option Act has been working as intended. Unfortunately, the law has a sunset provision, which means that the law will expire in just a few years if the California legislature does not act. No other state or jurisdiction that authorizes medical aid in dying has a sunset provision. California should make the EOLA permanent and give dying Californians the peace of mind to know that the law will continue to be available to them.
Californians are using the law for peaceful deaths and peace of mind. In 2023, 1,281 terminally ill people obtained prescriptions for medical aid in dying, and 69% of them took the medication.
As a grieving Catholic mother, I firmly believe this option at the end of life does not take God’s will away. God is kind and compassionate and He does not want his children to suffer.
I am proud to continue my late son’s work and grateful that 10 states and Washington, D.C. allow the option of medical aid in dying for terminally ill adults.
I recently recorded a video about my son’s peaceful death in California, hoping to raise awareness and advocate for medical aid in dying laws across the country –To see the video, CLICK
‘Drew’
Drew was a special education teacher and an avid hockey player who spent his last months of life advocating for medical aid in dying. Despite his illness, my son found the strength to record a video, write a heartfelt blog and share his story through a podcast.
For two years, Andrew endured numerous rounds of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery after he was diagnosed in 2017 with stage III colorectal cancer. Unfortunately, the painful treatments did nothing to cure the cancer. In December 2020, doctors told Andrew his cancer was terminal.
When Drew found out he was terminal, I asked him, I actually pleaded, ‘Please come back home… He feared a painful death. …He feared death and even more than death itself, he feared that his body would just deteriorate.
Peaceful Death
On November 16, 2022, Andrew was in his bedroom with its stunning view of the setting sun, with Jaxson, his roommate’s dog. Everyone commented on the beauty of the skyline, sharing funny stories from Andrew’s childhood. My son had us laughing as his playlist with music from the Beatles and Tom Petty played in the background.
Seconds later, two hospice nurses mixed the medication with juice and they gave Andrew a spoonful of raspberry sorbet to take it with.
Within two minutes, Drew was snoring, and his father looked over at me…we both smiled, because Drew had not had a good night’s sleep for many years.
His snoring was music to our ears.
Drew’s final words before he fell asleep were, “I’m happy.”
And so am I.
I invite Californians to honor my only son’s memory by urging your state lawmakers to pass SB 403 to allow this compassionate law to become permanent for dying Californians whose last wish in life is to die peacefully, not painfully.
Will you join me?
Suzy Flack is the mother of the late Andrew (Drew) Flack.