Doctor-assisted death: A dad's choice sheds light on national issue

Ethan Remmel was only 41 when he died on June 13, 2011, barely a year after being diagnosed with terminal colon cancer that quickly spread to his bone.
The Bellingham, Wash., psychology professor and father of two young sons took a lethal dose of crushed prescription sedatives, becoming one of 255 terminally ill people to exercise that option so far under the state’s 2009 Death with Dignity Act.
“One of the things that Ethan kept saying is he didn’t want to deteriorate to the point where he couldn’t interact with his kids,” recalls his partner, Grace Wang, 44.