Discussions on about issues related to dying are being raised by the shooting at the hospital in Daytona Beach.
Tonight, WESH 2’s Amanda Dukes spoke with a man who wants to inspire Florida lawmakers to pass a new bill.
Ellen Gilland, 76, and her husband Jerry Gilland, 77, allegedly had a deal that if her husband’s severe illness got any worse, she would kill him and then commit suicide.
Since he doesn’t know the circumstances of the Gillands’ situation, Florida Death with Dignity founder and president Tony Ray said he believes the state needs a “medical help in dying law.”
“I don’t know their circumstances, but if they can pick medication to finish their life peacefully, in respect with their own beliefs and values, and that’s exactly what such laws are about — personal choice, personal decision,” Ray added.
According to Ray, his foundation plans to introduce the Florida End-of-Life Options Act during the next legislative session.
He believes that it gives an adult with a terminal illness a way to avoid excessive suffering in their final stages of life.
