I don’t want to be a burden to others

Re: “Mom died with dignity in palliative care” (Your Views, June 25)

I believe that allowing a patient to die with dignity should be a Canadian r-i-g-h-t.

The approach in which a terminally ill person wishes to end their life should be their decision alone. The distrust Tammy Botham has for the system could easily be countered by encouraging everybody to legally document their end-of-life wishes.

For myself, I want to minimize the burden on society in my final days. Neither do I want a disproportionate amount of money being spent keeping me “alive” just because it is medically possible. I would rather see this money spent on the young and less fortunate who have a lifetime in front of them. These are my choices.

Hopefully, Botham and others will respect these as I respect her mother’s choices in her final days. David Waddleton

Candiac