Thank you to the Darren A. Lyles Memorial Fund

Darren Lyles

In July 2000, Darren Lyles and his wife, Maribeth, were a happy married
couple, who had just moved into a new home with their two baby girls.

On July 12th, Darren woke up with a headache, took a migrane medication and went back to sleep. A few hours later, Maribeth, found him with his right side stationary. A former lifeguard, she immediately concluded that he had had a stroke and called 911.

The hospital staff instead focused on the possibility of an overdose, testing him for drugs. They also did a spinal tap and gave him blood thinner. Frustrated, Maribeth exclaimed “Why aren’t you doing a brain scan?”

The next day, a brain scan showed the stroke and extensive brain damage. There was a request for Darren’s organs. In shock, Maribeth declined. Darren was taken off life support and died.

With legal assisted suicide, “eligibility” is based on a doctor’s diagnosis, but as illustrated by Darren’s case, doctors and other medical professionals can be wrong.

Meribeth’s family established the Darren A. Lyles Memorial Fund to honor his life and help others. The Fund has made several generous donations to the Foundation for Choice is an Illusion, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation established to educate the public about problems with legalization, including elder abuse and doctor error.

Thank you to the Darren A. Lyles Memorial Fund.

Darren & daughter