'Death with Dignity': Lombard woman with cancer pushes for legislation to legally end her life

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Should people with only months to live be legally allowed to end their own lives? It's a hot-button issue currently under discussion in Springfield.

Senators in Illinois are currently working on a bill that would allow "Death with Dignity" for patients with certain conditions.

Deb Robertson of Lombard was diagnosed with a rare cancer two years ago, and her doctor has declared it terminal. Her dying wish is to pass away with dignity, surrounded by love, and, above all, without needless suffering.

A simple request, but one that cannot be granted in Illinois under current state law.

Currently, Robertson must travel to other states where medical aid in dying is legal to fulfill her wish.

Typically, the process involves two doctors confirming that a patient has six months to live. The patient must make two verbal requests, then submit a written request with witnesses. Following that, they must have three visits with a doctor. Finally, the patient must take the medications themselves. They would then lose consciousness soon after and pass away within a few hours.

Robertson has stated that she's not afraid of dying, but rather of how she will die.

"But I'm a little afraid of how I'm going to die, what it's going to look like," she said. "When I'm told by the doctors that I'm a miracle, that I'm still here, I think that there's a reason I'm still here, and I still have some unfinished business. And I think part of that is my desire to really advocate for medical aid in dying. That's my passion right now. That's something that I really believe in."

Currently, only Washington DC and eight states nationwide allow medical aid in dying.

If the bill passes in Illinois, there would be a number of safeguards.