Assistant Suicide A Crime or Savior?

Recently I read an article on ABC News about a son helped his parents take their life due to an illness that they would have died from. John West helped his parents take their live in 1999 because the father had cancer with six months to live and his mother had Alzheimer disease. He revealed this dark secret in a book titled "The Last Goodnights". My question is, take out the laws and think about if you were in the shoes of John West or his parents. What you ask the same question to your family members or help carry out the task that your loved ones ask of you?

So now we get to the lines of religion and all that stuff about taking a life is bad etc. I feel Mr. West made a choice that was right for the family. I would do the same thing. If I was his father with only six months to live, I would ask of the same thing. With a disease that is going to take my life, I would live it to the fullest until the pain is unbearable. Grant it I could do chemotherapy and take meds to help, but what good would it do?

Now imagine if your in the hospital on life support. Your brain cannot function without help from a machine. The doctor asks you to make a choice if you want to pull the plug. What do you do? How is this different than what Mr. West did?

Grant it the question I asked previously was asked by a professional who understands life of medicine, but again, how is this different? A doctor wouldn't allow a life to be taken if he/she had cancer or Alzheimer. I feel the decision is just. Pain is suffering.