A woman battling cancer has shared her plans for her final hours on Earth before choosing to end her life.
Roseana Spangler-Sims, a resident of California, received a heart-wrenching diagnosis of stage 4 pancreatic cancer nearly 18 months ago.
Over the past year, she had undergone rigorous chemotherapy and radiation treatments, but unfortunately, a recent scan revealed that the cancer had continued to spread.
In June, the 72-year-old made the decision to take control of her destiny, as she shared with PEOPLE her intention to take a lethal dose of medication on Sunday, August 31, in accordance with California’s Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) law.
Before taking this step, she spoke with the publication to discuss her plans for her final days, which included using magic mushrooms.
Roseana meticulously organized her last day, distributing her possessions and preparing to donate her body to the University of California, San Diego, for scientific study.
Despite the extensive preparations, Roseana expressed her readiness, stating, “I’m ready to go. I’m more at peace than I’ve ever been.”
On August 18, she left her apartment in Vista to spend her final two weeks with family near Palomar Mountain, north of San Diego, accompanied by her son Shawn Cisneros, his wife Cindy, and Cindy’s twin sister, Sandi.
The family enjoyed drives through the forests and reminisced over boxes of photographs and memories collected over the years.
They also hosted a ‘living wake,’ where friends and family gathered to celebrate her life.
On her last day, Roseana shared her plan for a light breakfast of papaya and mango, as her stomach needed to be empty before taking the fatal medication dose.
At 11 am, her death doula, Melissa McClave, arrived to support Roseana and her family through the end-of-life process, along with a psilocybin facilitator to conduct a ritual involving the psychedelic drug.
McClave described the ritual, which includes a ‘smudging ceremony’ with sage, followed by a microdose of magic mushrooms. She explained, “It will be closer to Catholic last rites than it would be to going to a Phish concert.”
Roseana expressed anticipation for the ritual, believing it would help her “bring myself to that peaceful point” and connect her with nature.
At 5 pm, Roseana planned to take anti-nausea medication to ensure the MAID medication “goes in and stays down.” This mixture includes sedatives, narcotics, and white grape juice, which she intended to consume around 6 pm.
“I want it to go as quickly as possible. I don’t want the kids to sit here and look at me half dead for too long. I want to be out,” she declared.
She planned to take the solution while resting in a hospital bed on the deck of the rented home, surrounded by hummingbird feeders and a pine tree overlooking a mountain forest.
“I’ve never been a fearful person. That just ain’t in my DNA,” she remarked shortly before her passing, adding, “I do get anxious about everything being okay for these guys,” while gesturing to her family.
McClave mentioned that Roseana might need a grape popsicle after taking the MAID medication to alleviate any burning sensation but assured her family that within minutes, she’d feel a “euphoric feeling” before entering a peaceful coma.
“I can’t wait to be numb,” Roseana added. “I can’t wait to make my body just melt away. For months and months it’s been constant pain. It will be a relief.”
“I feel ready to fade,” she continued. “I believe I’m going off to a peaceful plane of existence. It’s like going into another dimension. Hopefully, I’ve served the greater good enough that I can get to that peaceful place, what people think of as heaven.”
“I don’t know if I can communicate with this dimension or not. I’m just looking forward to the adventure. And I want to leave you guys feeling like this is the next thing for me.”