I will die in a few weeks, but life is still beautiful

Ann and Özgür have been a couple for the past 23 years, but time is running out as she battles the final stage of ovarian cancer. Doctors provided her with two options: Either continue on with chemotherapy at hospital or spend your last days with your husband and children at home. She picked the second option. Here is her story

I’ve done many interviews in my life. Only a few of them affected me the way Ann and Özgür’s interview did. I’ve felt their pain and while I was listening to them, I felt like I became Ann and Özgür.

I think of Ronan and Zeytin, their daughters. One of them is 5 and the other one is 9. In a couple of weeks, they will have no mother. Right now she is at home with them, but she’s dying.

Ann has terminal ovarian cancer. Despite surgery, chemotherapy and medicine, there is nothing more that can be done as it was diagnosed too late. It is the end of the road. The next step is death... And there are only a few days or weeks left...

Her doctor says: “There are two options: The first one is that we continue on with your treatment at hospital. However, I don’t think that it will be helpful. The second option is that you stay at home with your husband and your children. There, you can give your last breath and pass away in peace...” She chose the second option. 

I have been speaking with a woman who knows that she is going to die very soon. I didn’t know if there is anything that can be called a “beautiful death,” but I have just spoken to a woman who said death could be beautiful...

A woman who is preparing to die... A woman who is trying to make life easier for people that she loves after she is gone...