Canadian TikTok influencer Rebecca Luna, 49, died by medical assistance in dying (MAID) on Saturday after a year-long battle with young-onset Alzheimer's disease.
Luna, who had over 90,000 followers on the platform, shared her diagnosis and struggles with the neurodegenerative disease on social media. She announced in a TikTok video last week that she had moved her assisted dying date forward due to her deteriorating health.
"For the last two weeks I’ve been making the decision. And it’s a hard decision to make, because I’m living in a body that doesn’t feel comfortable, safe, good, nothing," Luna said in her final video. "It feels terrible. And so the idea of waiting two weeks felt like too much."
She stated her desire for relief and an end to suffering, reflecting on a life that included past trauma, abuse, neglect, and addiction, before her Alzheimer's diagnosis.
"I don’t wanna be dying before I’m 50 but I have had a good life actually," she said. "I’ve had a really traumatic life. I’ve already gone through enough suffering. I’ve suffered enough in this world."
Luna was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's, a rare form of dementia affecting individuals under 65, last year. She had been given a five to seven-year life expectancy following her diagnosis.
Canada legalized MAID in 2016. Initially, it was only available to individuals facing a terminal illness or imminent death. The law was expanded in March 2021, allowing individuals to access MAID even if their death was not "reasonably foreseeable."
To be eligible for MAID in Canada, individuals must be at least 18 years old, capable of making decisions, eligible for publicly funded healthcare, and make a voluntary, informed request for the procedure. They must also be suffering from a "grievous and irremediable medical condition."
Further expansions to the MAID law are scheduled for March 2027, which will include provisions for individuals suffering solely from a mental illness. Access to MAID in Canada is restricted to Canadian citizens.