When Brittany Maynard announced last month that she had picked 1 November as the day she would die, there were many who did not believe she would have the courage to do it. Others prayed that she would have a change of heart.

But she stuck to her word and chose to "die with dignity", as she described her decision many a time. Diagnosed with a terminal illness that would have progressively debilitated her, and which was already leading her to have frequent seizures and stroke-like symptoms, she consciously decided to move from her own home in California to Oregon, where assisted-suicide legislation is in place, and die peacefully on her own terms.

Hardliners and moralists have criticised her choice, and the Catholic Church has also found time to judge her action as being 'reprehensible'. But others who believe that people are entitled to make up their own mind on all matters pertaining to their life (and death) fully supported her decision.

Usually, it is people who are much older who seek help to die. Brittany was a few weeks short of her 30^th birthday when she died. And this is perhaps why her death has created so much debate in the United States and elsewhere.

Brittany's destiny was harsh on her. A terminal illness at 29 is quite rare. But she had one huge blessing - and this is the backing of her husband and family at the time she made up her mind to die with dignity. They might have initially tried to make her change her mind, exposing options they thought Brittany wasn't seeing, but when they realised that she was adamant about it and, more importantly, at peace with herself about the decision she had taken, they gave her all the backing that she needed.

"When we all sat down and looked at the facts, there isn't a single person that loves me that wishes me more pain and more suffering," she said in one of her last interviews.

She's right, and I am happy for her that, in the moment when she really needed support on what was ultimately the most important decision that she ever took, the people around her gave it to her. I am sure that, selfishly, they wanted her to fight on so that they would spend more time with her, but they understood that the quality of her life would have deteriorated badly, and that Brittany did not want that.

It was much better for them to remember her in her true spirit, rather than see her wither away slowly on a bed, incapable of communicating and in great pain. And it was much better for her to dedicate her last "good days" to the family she loves.

Who are we to judge, anyway?