A Canadian influencer battling Alzheimer’s has taken her own life via a form of assisted dying – after telling her fans in an emotional video she was living in a body that didn’t make her feel comfortable or safe.
Rebecca Luna, 49, died “peacefully.. surrounded by loved ones” at around 1:15 p.m. Saturday, her eldest daughter Maya revealed on a fundraising page.
Luna, a single mom from British Columbia, was diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer’s last year – a rare form of dementia that affects people under 65.
She documented her battle with the illness on social media – and had a following of more than 90,000 online.
Luna, a mom to two children, ended her life by using medical assistance in dying (MAID) – a form of assisted suicide that was legalized in Canada in 2016.
Last week, she revealed in a TikTok clip that she brought her date forward to Saturday from August because of her deteriorating health.
“Prior to the dates changing for the last year and a half has been legally and medically not my choice,” she told her fans in her final video.
“But for the last two weeks I’ve been making the decision. And it’s a hard decision to make, because I’m living in a body that doesn’t feel comfortable, safe, good, nothing.
“It feels terrible. And so the idea of waiting two weeks felt like too much.”
She revealed she would be spending her final days seeing her family and friends.
“It’s been a hard 24 hours obviously. This is not what I wanted. I would have never chosen young onset Alzheimer’s for myself,” she said.
“It’s just taken so much from me except for my good looks,” she said, trying to make a joke.
Luna revealed she wanted to have “relief… and a lack of suffering.”
“I don’t wanna be dying before I’m 50 but I have had a good life actually,” she said.
“I’ve had a really traumatic life. I’ve already gone through enough suffering. I’ve suffered enough in this world.
“But at the same time, the suffering has brought me to this place of ‘I really know who I am and I really know that I have a good f–king heart. I’m so loyal. I will fight for you till the end of time.’”
Luna reflected on her previous battles of growing up in a world of abuse and neglect, and then her battles with addiction – before being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
“That’s a lot for anyone to go through right?” she said.
“To be as sober as long as I have and then to get through this disease without even picking up a drink or drug is amazing. Most people can’t do that.
“It’s because I’ve worked my ass off. I didn’t just sit back and go to a meeting and hope that I’d get better. I have been kicking ass.”
Luna previously revealed she was given a five to seven year life expectancy after her diagnosis.
Canada passed its MAID law in June 2016 and initially it was only legal for patients facing a terminal illness or imminent death.
The law was expanded in March 2021 and a person’s death didn’t have to be “reasonably foreseeable” in order to request the form of assisted dying.
Those who want to receive MAID must be at least 18 years old and be able to make decisions, according to the Canadian government.
They must be eligible for publicly funded health services, make a voluntary request, and give informed consent to receive MAID.
Patients must also be suffering from a “grievous and irremediable medical condition,” according to the government.
In March 2027, the law will be expanded again to include those suffering solely from a mental illness.
Only Canadians can access MAID – meaning American citizens are excluded.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
Read the full article here
