Everything connected to Linda Dierkes' death was planned.
As the pain increased and became less and less bearable, she took advantage of Vermont's Death with Dignity Law after being diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.
An incredibly brave thing to do. Linda called it her “liftoff.”
She chose the time: 11 a.m. on July 10, 2021. She was lying outside on a chaise lounge overlooking the hills of West Brattleboro, wearing a brightly flowered shirt that she bought for herself a few weeks earlier.
Dear Mary Ellen: This is such a hard time of year for me. I think I should be happy and upbeat because the weather is getting warmer, the days are longer, and summer is just around the corner. But instead I am having trouble sleeping and getting up in...