'I am fighting the best I can'
My name is Carla Wykoff. I am a
long-time resident of Arizona, a retired engineer, scientist, teacher,
and advocate for the desert biological diversity. I have been
fighting lung and liver cancer for six years. I have endured
surgeries, radiation, and the side effects of treatment.
I do not know how much longer I
have to live. I am fighting the best I can but I am tired of being
sick and I am exhausted by medical interventions. I do not want to die
nor do I want to live in a weakened state, unable to do the things that
have always given my life meaning. I want to live as long as I am
able to get out into the wild places that are my source of spiritual
energy.
But when my body signals me that my
time is close, I want the option of ending my own life with dignity,
enjoying the company of those I love - when, where and how I
choose.
It troubles me that I will likely not
have this option in my home state of Arizona -- that others whose
beliefs I do not share, can and will force me to suffer pain and
indignation in my last moments on the planet. I find that wrong,
even barbaric.
I would like to thank my family and
friends, and my doctors and other caregivers for their long
support. I would like to ask you, my fellow Arizonans, to implement
the option of medical aid in dying for all terminally-ill Arizonans who
would prefer, like me, to end their lives on their own
terms.
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Share Your Story - Here's how
If
you are a supporter of medical aid in dying, then it's likely that you
have experienced an event in your life that triggered your support. If
so, we would love to hear about your experience. If you are uneasy about
your writing ability, not to worry -- we'll help you get your story
told. The most important thing is having a story you are willing to
share. If you have questions or a story idea, simply drop an email note
to Stu Burge and let's get started. In the meantime, please take a look at all the other great stories curated on our website.
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Register here for Dwight Moore's
June 20 webinar
Presented by
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Saturday, June 20, 2:00 pm
- Join
us for a discussion of end of life options for terminally ill
patients and an introduction to AZELO and the dedicated volunteers
working to bring this law to Arizona.
- Zoom registration required
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Dwight Moore, PhD, is Chair of
the AZELO Education Committee, with the "modest" goal of having all
citizens of Arizona understand the basics of the medical aid in dying
law as it grows in importance and achieves greater public support across
the nation. Dr. Moore was a team leader for Compassion & Choices in
Coachella Valley, California, during the successful 2014-15 campaign to
pass the California End of Life Option Act.
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Seven Touches Campaign Rolls On
As
you may recall from past newsletters, AZELO is engaged in an aggressive
campaign of advocacy, education and persuasion aimed squarely at
influencing the 90 members of the Arizona legislature. The ultimate
goal, of course, is the creation of a law granting Arizona citizens
voluntary access to medical aid in dying (MAID).The state has been
divided into eight regions, each with a Regional Leader who is
responsible for carrying out the campaign for the Legislative Districts
in their assigned region.
Leader
Region
Legislative Districts
Leesa Stevens
Northern
Arizona
1, 5, 6, 7
Ron Fischler
Eastern
Arizona
8, 12, 16, 28
Tom Fitch
E. Maricopa
County
23, 25
Jay Scherotter S.
Maricopa County
17, 22, 16, 27
Mandy Weaver
Central
Phoenix
15, 18, 24
Stu Burge
W. Maricopa County
20, 21, 29, 30
Dwight Moore
W. & S.W. Arizona
2, 4, 13, 19
Mary Ganapol
Southern
Arizona
3, 9, 10, 11, 14
Now we are ready for the Second Touch
of the campaign, which involves sharing additional helpful information
with our state senators and representatives. This time we are sending
them the powerful video program featuring Tempra Jones followed by a
pro-and-con panel of experts. You will recall that Mark Curtis, chief
anchor for Channel 12 in Phoenix, made two trips to to a small town in
Washington to interview Tempra and bring Arizona viewers her story. The
first visit was just before Christmas 2019 when she was celebrating what
she knew would be her final holiday with friends and family. The second
visit was scheduled for the day Tempra ended her life, having met the
requirements and safeguards attendant to medical aid in dying. It is a
moving and heartfelt story. You may want to watch it again before
sending it to your legislators. Here's the link https://azendoflifeoptions.org/town-hall/ |
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Just as we did with Touch #1,
there are four easy steps involved
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STEP ONE
First you need to locate the name and email address for the Senator and
two Representatives who represent the Legislative District you live in.
To start, simply go to this AZ Website and enter your home address. Your Legislative District Number will pop up at the top of the map. (Your Congressional District will also be displayed, but ignore that for now.)
STEP TWO Next, you need to enter the number of your Legislative District on this website My State Legislators. where
the House Roster and Senate Roster are shown in two different displays
and provide each member's name, phone number and email
address. Note that when you send your emails, each person's name
must include the extension @azleg.gov. Thus, for example, John Allen's email address would be JALLEN@azleg.gov.
STEP THREE
Draft an email something like the SAMPLE below. It's fine to send the
same email message to each of your three legislators. Just remember to
change the recipients' names and email addresses. Remember, the SAMPLE
is exactly that, so feel free to change up some of the language to suit
your own personal style.
STEP FOUR Proofread each email to eliminate possible typos, save a copy for your files, and send your Second Touch on
its way. If you come up with a question about the campaign that you
can't answer, please give Education Chair Dwight Moore a call at
360-223-4958.
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SAMPLE EMAIL
Dear (name)
It is an understatement to say
that these are difficult times for our state and country. As a resident
of Arizona, I want to thank you for your efforts regarding the
COVID-19 crisis and the more recent civil unrest that is causing most of
us to reconsider our deepest beliefs. I believe it is because of the
principled leadership of legislators like you that Arizona will weather
the storm and emerge stronger than ever.
I also want to take this
opportunity to tell you that I am especially interested in improving
end-of-life care in our state. I believe state governments, the media,
and the public need to recognize that terminally ill Arizonans should
have a voice and a choice in how their life ends.
As you may know, 70 million
people in nine different states and the District of Columbia have access
to medical aid in dying (MAID). Arizona has not passed such legislation
yet, but our goal at Arizona End-of-Life Options is to pass such a law
during the next legislative session. We have more than 350
volunteers here in Arizona and collaborate with the national offices of
Death with Dignity and Compassion & Choices.
Over the next few months I
will be sending you more information on this increasingly important
issue.
Finally, for your convenience,
I am including a link to a video clip we call “The Tempra Jones Story."
It was produced and hosted by Mark Curtis at KPNX Channel 12 in
Phoenix. The story is typical of the terminal health issues and
desire for autonomy with which countless individuals across our state
and country are coping. Click here to see Tempra's Story
Thank you for your time and consideration.
(your name)
(your home address)
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