Former funeral director. I understand what this doctor is saying. I’ve sat with many people planning assisted death and they were understandably happy that their pain and suffering will soon end. It’s normal to be afraid of death and not understand why someone would want to die until you sit across from someone with bones growing out through their skin because of cancer or someone who will soon lose the ability to move their muscles and be trapped in their paralyzed body until they die. The most common reason to not follow through with a planned death is death. As in, the person waited until the last possible moment to request assisted death. Nobody wants this until they really need it, and when they really need it, they’re thankful.