1. I
strongly urge you to Vote No on HB 264, which seeks to legalize physician
assisted suicide in Utah
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| Photo of me and my patient Jeanette Hall, 15 years after I talked her out of assisted suicide in Oregon Photo credit - Daily Signal |
I am a cancer doctor in Oregon, where
physician-assisted suicide is legal. I was also raised in Logan, graduated from
USU, and received my MD from the University of Utah Medical School 50 years ago.
I am Professor Emeritus and former chair of the Department of Radiation
Oncology at Oregon Health and Science University. I regularly visit Utah. I continue to practice in my cancer medical
specialty.
2. Vote
No because legalizing assisted suicide destroys the trust between patient and
doctor
My personal story:
I first became involved with assisted-suicide in
1982, shortly before my first wife, Shannon Kramer Stevens (daughter of Dick
Kramer, Bonneville Golf Course 50-year Pro and Legend), died of cancer. We had
just made what would be her last visit with her doctor. As we were leaving the
office, he said that he could provide her with an extra-large dose of pain
medication. As I helped her to the car,
she said “Ken, he wants me to kill myself.”
It devastated her that her doctor, her trusted
doctor, would suggest that she kill herself. It really troubled her. Within two weeks, she died peacefully in our
home. I learned then how assisted
suicide destroys the trust between patient and doctor. Patients want support from their doctors, not
encouragement to commit suicide.
3. Vote No to save lives
In
2000, Jeanette Hall was my cancer patient. At our first meeting, Jeanette told me that she did not want to be
treated, and that she was going to “do” our law, i.e., kill herself with a
lethal dose of barbiturates. She had
previously voted in favor of the law and that was what she had decided. I informed her that her cancer was treatable
and her prospects were good. She was not
interested in treatment; she had made up her mind for the assisted
suicide.
Her
surgeon had previously informed her that without cancer treatment, she had only
six months to a year to live, making her eligible for Oregon’s law. I asked her to return for weekly visits. On the third or fourth visit, I asked her
about her family and learned that she had a son. I asked her how he would feel
about her plan. A short time later she
decided to be treated.
Five
years later, Jeanette and I happened to be in the same restaurant. Excitedly, she came over to my table exclaiming,
“Dr. Stevens you saved my life.”
For
Jeanette, the mere presence of legal assisted suicide had steered her to
suicide. She has now told me repeatedly that
if I had believed in assisted suicide, she would be dead.
I
urge you to vote No to save lives.
In Summary,
1. I strongly urge you to Vote No on HB
264, which seeks to legalize physician assisted suicide in Utah.
2. Vote
No because legalizing assisted suicide destroys the trust between patient and doctor.
3. Vote No to save lives.
I
have much additional information regarding significant problems in Oregon due
to assisted suicide legalization. I am happy to provide that information to you
at a later time.
Very
sincerely,
Dr.
Kenneth R. Stevens, Jr., MD
Sherwood,
OR