This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The television was blaring when physician David Grube walked into a patient's bedroom in the mid-1990s, finding the man dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Cancer had invaded the man's pelvis and bones, the prognosis so poor he was put into hospice.
Grube is haunted to this day by the extreme measure that the man took to end his life before the cancer did.
From then on, "I told myself I would do everything I could to help patients not suffer," said Grube, national medical director for the nonprofit Compassion & Choices.
Grube testified via telephone Wednesday at a committee hearing convened to study an upcoming bill to legalize fatal prescriptions for terminally ill patients.
Similar practices have been authorized in five states — Oregon, Washington, Vermont, Montana and California.
Grube, who is from Oregon, said the "death with dignity" option is rarely used, but can be a good alternative for people who are dying in an extremely painful way.
Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck, D-Salt Lake City, has tried and failed to pass right-to-die measures in the past two years. She says she will sponsor her bill, the End of Life Options Act, until it passes.
Janet LeMaire, who was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in 2014, implored the committee Wednesday to support such a measure.
LeMaire went through seven months of intense chemotherapy, which left her with little feeling in her hands and feet, before doctors proclaimed her cancer-free. But two months later, she said, the cancer came back "with a vengeance."
She said it's been a losing battle ever since.
"Cancer is a death sentence for me," LeMaire said. This "bill would give me some control over how and when I die. At what point has someone suffered enough?"
But opponents pointed out Wednesday that many people outlive their diagnosis.
J.J. Hanson, president of the Patients Rights Action Fund, submitted a video as his testimony. Hanson was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2014. Doctors told him he had four months to live.
In the video, Hanson said it would have been easier for him to give up, but he needed to think of his wife and child. So, he didn't. And he's still alive.
"Every single day is a gift and you can't let that go," he said.
Laura Bunker, president of United Families International, also noted the devastating effects "assisted suicide" can have on an individual's family.
"Many family members have deep regrets after" the person is dead, Bunker said. "The other extreme is some family members may feel pressured to help."
The committee also held a meeting on the act last month and will take a position on the topic at some point.
Twitter: @alexdstuckey