A Colorado woman is sharing the painful experience of helping her mother pursue medical aid in dying after a long battle with cancer.

Shannon Bennett of Boulder said she was left “speechless” after receiving a text message from her 82-year-old mother, Gayle Hamer, at the end of February.

“She said, ‘Please don’t get angry or upset, but I am so tired of my life. Could you please look into assisted suicide for me?’” Bennett told 9News, her voice choked with emotion.

Hamer’s struggle with illness began eight years ago when she was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Despite undergoing surgery and chemotherapy, the disease left her with severe limitations and persistent symptoms, including dizziness and loss of appetite. In recent months, doctors confirmed she was terminally ill.

“I can’t read, I can’t knit, I can’t do any of the things I liked doing before, and I don’t see any reason to keep on going,” Hamer told 9News in a final interview before her death. “I do like food, but I’m never hungry.”

She recounted a severe dizzy spell last July that she believes triggered a heart attack, leaving her with ongoing, unrelenting dizziness. “I just think everybody has the right to choose when their time is up,” she said. “Nobody should dictate that they have to do it now, later, or wait until everything stops working.”

Hamer’s story underscores the profound personal and ethical challenges faced by families navigating the complex terrain of end-of-life decisions, where the desire for autonomy often collides with deep emotional bonds.

Mother Chooses Medical Aid in Dying, Leaving Family Grieving but Supportive

Recognizing the heavy toll cancer had taken on her body and spirit, Gayle Hamer made the deeply personal decision to pursue medical aid in dying (MAID), an option legal in Colorado since the End-of-Life Options Act took effect in 2016.

The law allows terminally ill patients to end their lives by self-administering prescribed lethal medication — without direct supervision from a medical professional. Unlike euthanasia, which is illegal in the United States and involves a doctor administering the fatal dose, MAID places the decision and act entirely in the hands of the patient. In addition to Colorado, similar laws exist in California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Vermont, Washington D.C., Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, and New Mexico.

“I know I put my kids in sort of a tough spot by asking them, but I didn’t want them to be shocked,” Hamer told 9News before her death.

Her family, while heartbroken, expressed unwavering support. “I fully support her decision if this is what she wants to do,” her son, Ty Hamer, said in an emotional interview. Bennett echoed the sentiment, adding, “I feel extremely lucky that this is an option for her because it’s just too miserable to go on for months or longer.”

On March 20, 2025, Hamer took the prescribed medication, surrounded by her children. In her final moments, she expressed profound gratitude for her family: “My children have been beyond the call; they are wonderful human beings. Their kids are wonderful human beings, and I couldn’t be more grateful that they’re my children and grandchildren. I can’t tell you how much I love my family.”

Weeks after Hamer’s death, Bennett spoke again with 9News, her grief palpable yet tempered by a sense of relief that her mother’s suffering had ended on her own terms. “It’s spring,” she said, noting it was her mother’s favorite season. “She and I would be playing golf together a couple times a week, and it’s kind of odd. I’m not quite sure what to do with myself.”

Ultimately, Bennett emphasized her pride in her mother’s choice and the importance of public awareness. “I’m very proud of her,” she said. “I just wanted people to be made aware that there is an option for people to have more control over their end-of-life journey.”