In California 1983, a young Elizabeth Bouvia had come to the decision that she was ready to die. She lived in the hospital  where she eventually began trying to starve herself to death. At 26 years old, she was beautiful and intelligent, but her suffering was great.

Bouvia struggled with both cerebral palsy as well as severe arthritis. She found life in a hospital to be unbearable. She longed for independence and she found that without it she did not believe life to be worth living. The hospital staff responded by force-feeding her and in the court case that ensued, the judge ruled that she did not have “the right to die”.

Today, Bouvia would’ve likely had her way.

In 2021, Canada expanded its Medical Assistance in Dying program (MAID), so that it now allows for a person with a chronic illness or disability to request euthanasia. In 2027, they plan on expanding it even further to include illnesses and disabilities that are solely mental. Ten states within the US also provide an option for assistance in dying, while the UK is still on the fence about it.

In the 2025, the Sundance documentary, Life After, Reid Davenport decides to delve deeper into this story and other similar stories more present with the new variable of euthanasia. Davenport himself has a disability, but instead of focusing on himself in his films, he points the camera outward to share and connect the stories of others as he explores the tougher questions.

Davenport believes that assisted dying is a clear danger to people with disabilities in the present day. He expressed that he believes that in the past, as well as today, many people with disabilities were moved to end their lives in response to a lack of support and inclusion in society and in their life.

In the film, Davenport connects with relatives of Bouvia. Through photos, home videos, and other recollections from her family Davenport was able to see the woman that Bouvia had grown into and what the court’s ruling had meant for her.

She passed away in 2014 which was about a decade later than what had been predicted. Advances in technology and finding more support led her to have autonomy in a way that she previously hadn’t. She had her own apartment and was able to find contentment.