A New Jersey woman, Barbara Goodfriend, was diagnosed with ALS, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, in April 2024. Rather than facing living with the degenerative nature of the disease, Goodfriend decided to end her life instead. In an interview with CBS News, she opened up about her choice.
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"I'm not afraid of dying...I was afraid of living," Goodfriend told the outlet. The 83-year-old widow received the news of her diagnosis in April, but her health started to deteriorate quickly shortly after. In the interview, Goodfriend displays bruises on her face caused by falls she had suffered as a result of ALS.
According to Mayo Clinic, ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, affects the brain's and spinal cord's nerve cells. Symptoms include trouble walking, tripping and falling, muscle weakness, slurred speech, and even thinking and behavioral changes, among other life-changing symptoms. These only get worse over time, causing breathing, speaking, and eating problems, sometimes leading to dementia.
Due to this, Goodfriend decided not to endure the tough journey she had ahead. Instead, she chose to receive MAID, that is, "Medical Aid in Dying." MAID involves getting a selection of lethal medication provided by a doctor, which is different from euthanasia. This procedure requires patients to have six months or less to live, have the appropriate mental faculties, and be able to administer the medicines themselves.
Afraid Of Living
When CBS News interviewed Goodfriend for Eye on America, she was surrounded by friends and family. "It's been a week of family, friends. We've done a lot of crying, all of us, but we've laughed. We've enjoyed being together," Goodfriend said.
When prompted, Goodfriend said that she didn't want to die, but that living with the complications that ALS caused was out of the question. "What am I going to give this up for? To be in a wheelchair? To have a feeding tube? I wish I had more time to live, but I don't want more time as a patient," Goodfriend said. "I hope that something will get done, something will be accomplished, so that others can have the privilege that I'm having."
With assistance from her doctor, she received the medications after paying $1,000. While it isn't required, the doctor, Dr. Robin Plumer, was there when Goodfriend decided to take them, on Goodfriend's request.
Barbara Goodfriend revealed that no one tried to talk her out of her decision. Her daughter Carol was there for her all the way.
"I think the hardest part in all of this, for me as her only child, is to support something so difficult and so contrary to what you want to do," Carol said. "The ultimate love that you can give somebody is to respect their wish, to live the way they wanna live, and to die the way they want to die."
Once the interview finished, Barbara Goodfriend took the medicines and died surrounded by her loved ones. She was wearing her late husband's t-shirt.
Given the nature of the topic, should you or anyone you know be struggling or going through a crisis, you can always call or text 988, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can also call 1-800-985-5990 or text "TalkWithUs" to 66746 for the SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline.
