Young woman,โค 25, Opts for Voluntary Assisted Dying Amidstโค Debilitating Illness
Adelaide, South Australia -โค Annalieseโฃ Holland,โ a 25-year-old woman battling a โคsevere and debilitating โฃillness, has chosen to pursue Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) as a means of finding peace and control over her final days. Facing relentless pain andโฃ the prospect of a prolonged,โ agonizing decline, Holland views VAD not as giving up, but as a heroic act of reclaiming agency after years of fighting.
Holland’s decision comes โฃafter exhausting all available treatment options and grappling withโฃ the fear of a โfuture โฃdominated โฃby suffering. “The pain โof starving to โdeath when they can’t feed me anymore, or the horrorโข of sepsis. Knowing I can goโ when the time is right is just a โขhuge โฃrelief,” โฃshe explained. Her story highlights the growing debate surroundingโข end-of-life choicesโค andโฃ the increasing โavailability of VAD and Medical Aid in Dying โข(MAID) options for terminally ill adults in certain parts ofโข Australia.
Initially hoping for euthanasia, which requires self-administration of prescribed โmedication and remains illegal,โ Holland is โnow pursuing VAD and โMAID, legalโฃ options inโ South Australia and othre regions.โค She describes the decision as “one of the bravest thingsโฃ you โขcould ever do,” emphasizing it’s not about surrender, but aboutโ having “had enough” and “fought bloody hard.”
Holland shares her โขjourney on Instagram โ(@annaliese_holland), documenting โher experiences and advocating for greater understanding and acceptance of VAD as a โฃcompassionateโ option for those โfacing unbearableโ suffering. โShe expresses feelingโ “so lucky that I do have this choice.”
