Health & Fitness
Illinois Becomes First Midwest State To Allow Medically Assisted Death As 'Deb's Law' Goes Into Effect
A diagnosis of a rare, aggressive form of cancer had forced her into retirement after three decades of working with homeless youth.
September 23, 2026 / 8:39 AM CDT
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.
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A diagnosis of a rare, aggressive form of cancer had forced her into retirement after three decades of working with homeless youth. As the disease quickly spread through her body, she felt "like a walking time bomb." But she found a new purpose, becoming a public face of a movement in favor of life-ending options.
She shared her story publicly and traveled from her home near Chicago to Springfield, the state capital, to convince lawmakers it was vital to legalize medically assisted death.
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