by Anneke Quinta

About the author: Anneke Quinta is a resident in family practice at Kingston Hospital in New York.

"Help me to die," she said. I looked down at Margaret in surprise. The witty Welsh woman had been my patient for several weeks. A veteran of our surgical unit, she had weathered several major operations and now faced another. Usually optimistic, she shared my opinion that this hospital stay would be her last.

Margaret's request seemed reasonable. Her mind was clear. She understood her deteriorating condition and concluded that the best thing I could do for her was to end her life. She had a terminal illness and wanted to spare herself and her family the pain of prolonged suffering. She was competent to make a decision and clearly stated her wish.

Over...