FALLS CHURCH, Va. — In July of 2022, Barbara Green was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Doctors told her she'd have 8 to 11 months to live.
"One day I was perfectly well. The next day I was a cancer victim," said Green.
She told WUSA9 she's not scared to die, but is terrified of what will happen to her before she passes.
"Nobody can tell me what's going to happen to me except that this cancer will kill me," she said.
That's why she had hoped Senate Bill 930, would pass. The legislation would have allowed medically assisted death in Virginia. Tuesday it passed by indefinitely, meaning it will not move forward.
One doctor who testified during the January 20 hearing called the bill unethical and expressed concerns
"It's not compatible with the physician code of healer," he said.
"Nobody has to participate if they don't want to, but the people who want this option should have it," said Sean Crowley, who is with the organization Compassion and Choices.
He recently lost his mother.
"She was desperate for help to end her suffering and I couldn't give it to her it was heartbreaking," he said.
It is currently legal in 10 states and D.C.. He says they are currently trying to push for it to be legalized in more states.
Barbara told WUSA9 she's planning to move from Virginia to D.C. in the next couple of months because of this.
"It's not that I want to be dead. I want to be alive. I'm doing this chemo because I want to stay alive. But if it gets to the situation where I can't eat, drink, and I'm just suffering -- why why would I want to continue?"
She told WUSA9 these days she feels fine, and is trying to continue living her life to the fullest. She said she has no regrets and hopes others will hear her story and take the time to go out there, do that thing, take that trip and live their life to the fullest.
"Nobody knows when they're going to hit with something like this. Someone your age can get hit with this as well," said Green.