. >> maurice: in tonight's "eye on america," we conclude the story of barbara goodfriend.e will catch you up here. goodfriend lived in 1 of 10 states that allow terminally-ill people like herself to take medicine to end their lives. eight other states are contemplated similar laws, but there is opposition. here is nikki battiste in voorhees, new jersey. ♪ ♪ >> so i need to ask you formally, are you sure today is the day? >> absolutely. >> okay. >> reporter: this is the day barbara goodfriend chose to die. >> okay. and you know that when you drink the medicine, it is going to cause you to fall asleep and not wake up? it will be a peaceful dignified death. >> yeah. >> reporter: seven months earlier, she was diagnosed with als. the fatal disease attacks the nervous system. >> i'm not afraid of dying. >> yeah. >> i'm so afraid of living. >> yeah. >> reporter: at 83 goodfriend, a widow and mother who worked in fashion, has chosen medical aid in dying also known as m.a.i.d. m.a.i.d. laws allow a doctor to prescribe a mixture of lethal medication, but the patient, who must have s

>>>>ryan barbara goodfriend, you heard was diagnosed with als. this is a fatal disease. her nervous system deteriorated rapidly. and, as she mentioned, made legal in new jersey. and she told us she didn't want to suffer and she wanted to die with dignity. we met her, as you mentioned, the day before, she was planning to die. and tonight on the cbs evening news, you see this extraordinary journey. and what really struck me about goodfriend is how honest and candid she is about her thoughts about in speaking about this very controversial topic. >>>>and, nikki, i know this is a very controversial subject for people who oppose made. what is their reason? >>>>what is their reason? the primary reason opponents argue that this is suicide. and i just want to point out made and assisted suicide are the same thing. and proponents call it made. opponents call it assisted suicide, where a patient must self-administer the drug. it's not euthanasia which is completely illegal, where a doctor gives a lethal injection. but opponents worry that people who get this prescription and never

." >> reporter: when we visited barbara goodfriend's home in new jersey, we found it crowded with family full of life. so it was hard for us to process that this is where goodfriend was determined to die in less than 24 hours. >> it's been a week of family. friends. we've done a lot of crying. but we've laughed. >> reporter: last april, she was diagnosed with als. the disease attacks the nervous system, robbing people of their muscle control. goodfriend is 83, a widow who spent decades working in fashion while raising her only child. a doctor told her she might not live through autumn. she deteriorated quickly falling. the cause, she told us, for the bruises on her face. rather than suffer, barbara has chosen medical aid in dying also known as m.a.i.d. a doctor prescribes a mixture of lethal medication, but the patient, who must have six months to live or less and be of sound mind, must administer it. this is not euthanasia where a doctor gives a patient a lethal injection. that is illegal. do you want to die? >> no. >> reporter: but you don't want to live the way that -- >> correct. >>