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Santa Clarita Woman Who Fought To ‘Die With Dignity’ Succumbs To Battle With Cancer

Christy O’Donnell, an advocate for the End of Life Option Act, died on Saturday after over a year-long battle with cancer.


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O’Donnell, 46, was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer on June 25, 2014, which had already spread to her brain, and later to her spine, rib and liver.

She was a single mom, a civil rights attorney and a former Los Angeles Police Department sergeant.

When diagnosed, O’Donnell said she had three brain tumors, along with lung cancer. One of the tumors was the “size of a golf ball.”

Related: KHTS AM-1220 Talks To Santa Clarita Woman Fighting To Die With Dignity

She was a non-smoker her whole life and was a vegetarian, runner and swimmer. She tried to “do everything right.” She was the first in her family’s history to be diagnosed with cancer.

O’Donnell’s final message was posted to her Facebook page by her sister on Monday afternoon, saying how “loved, supported and lucky” she was.

“I have lived an amazing life filled to the brim with love, laughter and joy,” the Facebook post read.

Gov. Jerry Brown signed California’s End of Life Option Act in October 2015.

O’Donnell was the lead plaintiff in a suit that helped move California to pass a law that will give terminally ill patients the option of medical aid in dying.

“My daughter and I fought very hard during the last months of my life to try to bring about positive change in this world,” O’Donnell said in a Facebook post. “I take comfort in knowing that someday Aid in Dying will be lawful not only in California, but throughout the United States.”

A CrowdRise page has been set up to help her daughter, Bailey, finish college.

Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at community@hometownstation.com.

KHTS AM 1220 - Santa Clarita Radio

Santa Clarita Woman Who Fought To ‘Die With Dignity’ Succumbs To Battle With Cancer

3 comments

  1. I’m sorry to hear of her passing. Although I did not know her personally, she fought for a lot of our beliefs while fighting such a huge battle herself. I did follow her stories and truly believe she is one who made a huge difference for us having the right to die with dignity. We may not be there yet, but Christy O’Donnell definitely got us closer to the goal. May she rest in peace.

  2. Beautiful heart, beautiful soul. Godspeed to Christy

  3. To bad she supported legislation that was riddled with loopholes that eviscerate flaunted safguards.
    I have found (serving 60 fair booth days) that about half of the public thinks they are in favor of such a law, that is until they learn about the flaws in the laws that create new paths of elder abuse with immunity. Once they learn that a predatory heir may steer the signup process and then forcibly administer the lethal dose without oversight, they all said, “I am not for that!”.
    Anyway all of these Oregon Model bills have the same flaws that eviscerate flaunted safe guards.
    Here is an example list of flaws posted recently about the New Jersey bill that failed.

    The New Jersey Alliance exposed the following flaws in S 382:
    • No requirement of mental health evaluation or pain relief consultation.
    • Permits an heir to witness a death request.
    • Requires no oversight on whether the patient was willing to take the lethal drugs.
    • No requirement that a medical person be present to supervise the ingestion of lethal drugs.
    • Allows a third party familiar with how the patient communicates to make the death request.
    * Permits lethal drugs to remain in a patient’s home without securing them.

    * Relies on the inaccurate premise that a doctor can predict death within six months.

    * No distinction as to whether the death prediction is with or without treatment of the patient.

    * No required notification of family members.
    Immunizes from prosecution anyone participating in administering lethal drugs, even if their participation was coercive and out of self-interest
    Falsely certifies the cause of death.
    The New Jersey Alliance Against Doctor-Prescribed Suicide is a broadly-based, diverse coalition of organizations strongly opposed to the legalization of assisted suicide.
    Before you expound on your beliefs, read the bill.
    Use this as a check off list on your bill when it is published. Well worth your time.

    At your service,
    Bradley Williams
    President
    MTaas dot org
    Hamilton, MT 59840

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About Heather Harbin

Heather grew up in the Santa Clarita Valley and graduated from West Ranch High School in 2012. She recently graduated from College of the Canyons with an Associate's Degree in New Media Journalism. She was involved in College of the Canyons' "Cougar News" for two years, where she became the senior producer. She will be studying for her Bachelor's Degree at Cal State Northridge in the spring. Heather became a staff writer at KHTS AM-1220 following her internship in the newsroom. She has been writing news and feature articles for the KHTS website since May 2015.