Acclaimed artist Jackie Ferrera has passed away after opting to end her own life.
Ferrara, whose work was featured in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, was famous for creating the most unique sculptures made of wood planks. She passed away on Wednesday through medical aid in dying as per her estate and legacy advice, Tina Hejtmanek.
In a recent interview, Ferrera explained to the New York Times that although she was in good health, she was ready to go. She suffered two falls within the past year and which reminded her of her wish not to be dependent on anyone.
‘I don’t want a housekeeper’- she explained to media outlets. “I never wanted anybody. I was married three times. That is enough!’- she continued.
Medical aid in dying is not yet legal in places like New York, where she lived. MAID laws have been authorized in places like California, Oregon, Colorado, Washington, Montana, Vermont, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, and New Mexico.
However, since she was healthy, she would not have been able to qualify anywhere in the US. So, she traveled to Basel, Switzerland, to end her life at a clinic called Pegasos. This is an assisted dying nonprofit organization that does not require patients to be terminally sick.