A widower is putting a human face on a big issue in Nebraska, Senator Ernie Chamber's LB 1056 known as the 'Patient Choice at End of Life Act'.
Brittany Maynard moved from California to Oregon where she chose to legally end her own life in 2014, her husband Dan Diaz was in Lincoln earlier this week trying to lobby state senators to vote for this bill to allow terminally ill patients to end their lives early.
"I can't tell you the amount of relief that it provides me that I don't have to die the way that it's been described to me, that my brain tumor would take me," said Maynard in a video posted before her death.
Months before on New Years Day in 2014, Maynard discovered she had a brain tumor, and was later told she had 6-months to live.
KMTV talked with Diaz via Skype and said this was the only way Maynard could die peacefully.
"Here was a case where they could not keep her from suffering that she would have the option to a gentle passing that she would not be tortured to death by the tumor," said Diaz.
Diaz met with Nebraska state senators this week, sharing Maynard's story hoping to sway public perception of this bill.
"The conversations with the senators they were good conversations and some are not there yet they still have concerns regarding the legislation," said Diaz.
The bill has plenty of push back in Lincoln. Governor Pete Ricketts told KMTV he'll veto the bill.
"The ramifications of this are far-reaching it is a big social evil to allow for assisted suicide be cause it de-values human life," said Ricketts.
Ricketts said this isn't the role physicians should be in.
"This is a huge problem for doctors because it gets them out of their role as physician and healer and puts them into a very bad ethical position of making subjective judgment on quality of life that would lead to the death of somebody," said Ricketts.
Diaz is hoping Nebraskans have the option Maynard had, "My wife was not suicidal, my wife wanted to live".
Maynard died November 1, 2014.
This bill is currently locked in the Judiciary Committee 4-4. Senator Chambers hopes this visit by Diaz will sway at least one person.
