She lived to see ‘Deb’s law’ take effect. Now she can choose how she dies
The law makes Illinois the first Midwestern state to allow terminally ill patients a lethal prescription, and Robertson says it leaves her feeling safe and peaceful.
- "Deb's law," a medical aid-in-dying statute named after advocate Deb Robertson, took effect this month in Illinois. Robertson celebrated the enactment at her Lombard home, stating the legislation "really makes me feel safe and peaceful."
- Illinois became the first Midwestern state and the 13th overall to authorize the option, joining a national trend that recently included New York. The movement has spread steadily since Oregon passed the first such law in 1997.
- To qualify, patients must have an incurable illness and less than six months to live, said bioethicist Thaddeus Pope. Robertson, diagnosed with rare cancer, spent three decades working with homeless youth before retiring to advocate for the bill.
- Opponents remain critical, with Catholic dioceses calling the law a "dangerous and heartbreaking path." Chicago-based disability advocate Ebony Payne warned the legislation puts people with disabilities in danger.
- Nearly 1/3 of Americans now live in a state where this end-of-life option is legal. Despite accelerating legislation, the practice remains uncommon, accounting for roughly 15,000 deaths since Oregon's 1997 law took effect.
35 Articles
35 Articles
The Catholic Church, religious groups and some legislators consider that the Deb law normalizes suicide and contradicts the obligation to protect life
She Lived to See ‘Deb’s Law’ Take Effect in Illinois. Now She Can Choose How She Dies
<span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">She Lived to See ‘Deb’s Law’ Take Effect in Illinois. Now She Can Choose How She Dies</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Associated Press</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-09-23T10:44:13-05:00" title="Wednesday, September 23, 20…
Terminally Ill Advocate Sees Her Right to Die Law Begin
She thought to change how terminally ill Illinois residents could die—and lived just long enough to see the option become law. The AP profiles 68-year-old Deb Robertson, a form homeless-youth counselor with an aggressive cancer who became the public face of the campaign for her namesake "Deb's law," which...
She lived to see ‘Deb’s law’ take effect. Now she can choose how she dies - Regional Media News
CHICAGO (AP) - Deb Robertson counted the days, hoping she'd live long enough for a new Illinois law to go into effect that allows terminally ill people like her to use a lethal prescription to end their lives. A diagnosis of a rare, aggressive form [...]
She lived to see 'Deb's law' take effect. Now she can c
Deb Robertson, a leading advocate for a medical aid-in-dying law named after her in Illinois, pauses during an interview in her home in Lombard, Ill., on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)
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