Missouri Woman to Travel for Assisted Death

Gayle Hendrix, a 79-year-old terminally ill woman from Missouri, plans to travel to Switzerland for a physician-assisted death on September 26, 2024. Diagnosed with lupus and interstitial lung disease four years ago, Hendrix's condition has deteriorated, leaving her reliant on an oxygen machine and unable to maintain her once active lifestyle. Despite the legality of physician-assisted death in ten US states and Washington DC, Hendrix chose Switzerland due to restrictive US regulations requiring a prognosis of less than six months to live. Hendrix's decision has sparked difficult yet supportive conversations within her family, especially with her daughter Charlene Foeste, who will accompany her. Hendrix, a long-time advocate for assisted suicide, emphasizes wanting control and dignity in her final moments, rather than prolonging her suffering.