In June, 1990 Kevorkian took Janet and her family to a campsite where her death would take place. All Janet had to do was flip a switch which would trigger thiopental and induce a sleep. Shortly after this, the media caught wind of the event and Kevorkian was charged with first degree murder but was not sentenced because he did not break any laws. Like Janet but now 24 years later, a woman named Brittany Maynard, 29, was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. She had chosen to take a fatal dose of barbiturates in her home with family and best friend on November 1st. Maynard says in People Magazine, "I don't want to die, but I am dying." Brittany explains that cancer is killing her, and causing her pain and suffering. She sees taking the medication and dying in peace with her family as the most humane way of going. Maynard researched many different treatments to remove the tumor that had grown but decided that it was not worth it if the procedure went wrong and resulted in blindness, mental, and physical impairment. The article ends off with Brittany's final wishes that her husband move on marry again and have children, and that her mother and stepfather visit the 15th-century Incan site of Machu Picchu in Peru. Brittany says, "It's a very sacred spiritual domain.".
Twenty-six year old Terri Schiavo collapsed in the hallway of her apartment due to cardiac arrest. Doctors believe this was caused by her bulimic purging which caused potassium deficiency. "The loss of oxygen to her brain caused permanent damage. With her cerebral cortex degenerated into scar tissue and spinal fluid, Terri fell into a 'persistent vegetative state,' retaining the capacity for reflexes like coughing or grimacing but lacking any cognitive ability" (Legacy of Terri). From the day Terri was presumed to be in a vegetative state a battle would start between her husband Michael (legal guardian) and her parents, the Shindlers.