Overview
- Diagnosed at 18 with autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy, she was told by 22 that her condition was terminal.
- Her decline includes multi-organ failure, reliance on total parenteral nutrition, and 25 surviving episodes of sepsis.
- Treatment complications have caused severe osteoporosis, multiple spinal fractures, a cracked sternum, necrosis, and significant dental loss.
- She describes VAD as a “safety blanket,” saying the option relieves anxiety about future pain and that she will choose the timing.
- Her family is torn, with her mother hoping for a miracle and her father coming to accept her choice; VAD is legal across Australian states and differs from euthanasia because patients self-administer the medication.