25-year-old Annaliese Holland, has made the heartbreaking choice to gently end her life with medical support after spending nearly all her years battling a rare illness that has taken away her comfort, her freedom, and her dreams.

Annaliese has been unwell since childhood. No one knew why she was constantly sick, in pain, and unable to keep food down. As the years passed, doctors tried everything, and she spent long stretches of her life in hospital beds instead of classrooms or celebrations. Eventually, she had to be fed through an IV because her stomach simply couldn’t move food the way it should. This also meant infections could become dangerous very quickly — something she has survived more times than she can count.

It wasn’t until she became an adult that doctors finally discovered the condition behind her suffering: a rare autoimmune disorder that affects the body’s automatic functions. By then, she had already endured years of unexplained pain and fear. At 22, she was told her condition would not get better.

The treatments meant to help her caused new problems — her bones weakened to the point where everyday movement could cause fractures. Breathing became painful. Even sitting up could hurt. Despite moments of joy, each day required tremendous strength just to get through.

Annaliese says life has begun to feel like she is watching the world from behind a window. She has celebrated milestone birthdays in hospital rooms while friends have moved forward with marriages, careers, and families. She loves deeply, laughs when she can, and tries to stay hopeful — but the exhaustion never stops.

Knowing the path ahead, she decided she wants her final chapter to be peaceful and on her own terms. She applied for voluntary assisted dying, an option available where she lives for people facing terminal illnesses, and after a detailed review, she was approved. For the first time in a long time, she felt a sense of relief — not because she wants to leave, but because she finally has some control over how her story ends.

Her family is heartbroken. They love her fiercely and wish things were different. Her father struggled most of all — hoping she would hold on, even as he watched her fight through unbearable days. But when she told him gently, during a difficult moment in the hospital, that she didn’t want more interventions, something changed. He realized her strength wasn’t in holding on — it was in being honest about what she could no longer carry. He told her he understood.

Her mother still prays for something unexpected to happen, yet she knows the challenges her daughter faces every single day. They all want her to be free from suffering, even though the thought of saying goodbye breaks them.

Annaliese says the approval brought her strange but genuine comfort. She cried — not from sadness, but from feeling that at last, she has a choice. She worries about the pain her decision brings her parents and sister, but she also knows they’ve seen her fight harder than anyone should ever have to.

She hopes people understand that choosing this path isn’t about “giving up.” It’s about peace. It’s about courage. It’s about the love she still feels, even as she prepares for what comes next.

“It’s one of the bravest things you can do,” she said softly. “I’ve fought so hard. And now I’m ready to rest.”