As the mom of two adult sons who live with a disability, our lives are challenging. We must think about our day in a way other families do not, from building in extra time to go out to wondering if the places we need to visit will be handicap accessible. The big challenges come when we navigate our health care system. For the most part, it is not well-equipped to treat someone who rolls up in a wheelchair. What might be a minor illness for people without a disability can turn into a serious illness. Two years ago, my son Ben and I sat in an overcrowded emergency room for hours and it wasn’t until our pulmonologist, who was away at a conference, made a call to the ER that Ben was finally admitted to the ICU. Ben’s life was saved that day. If New Hampshire legalizes assisted suicide, going to the hospital with a respiratory infection could turn into a more serious situation because doctors, according to a Harvard survey, do not all view Ben and Sam’s quality of life as equal to yours or mine. If we normalize suicide, doctors will steer people with disabilities towards assisted suicide instead of treatment. It has been proven in Belgium, Canada and in other states. We cannot accept this risk, nor should our legislature. This is especially true since we already have options to manage the end-of-life journey with hospice and palliative care.

Lori Safford

Pelham