A woman whose world was forever changed by a shooting in 2022 decided to end her life after being on life support for two years.

It was February 19, 2022, when gunman Benjamin Smith opened fire in Normandale Park in Portland, Oregon.

The five people injured in the shooting were part of a crowd that had gathered in the park to protest the death of Amir Locke, a 22-year-old black man who was shot by a police officer.

Benjamin Smith injured five people in the park. (KPTV Fox 12)

One of the women hit, identified only by the name “Deg,” was shot through the neck and suffered an injury to her phrenic nerve, leaving her paralyzed from the shoulders down.

After living abroad for some time, backpacking through the Pacific Northwest and working at a preschool, Deg suddenly found herself dependent on others for the most basic care.

She remained hospitalized for five months and suffered three bouts of pneumonia since the shooting, coming to terms with the fact that any social interaction could expose her to a potentially fatal respiratory infection.

She suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and told the court during the hearing that she had “lost the future” she had imagined.

According to the Oregonian, Deg then began to learn about Oregon State’s Death with Dignity program, which allows terminally ill patients to end their lives by self-administering lethal drugs.

Deg suddenly had to rely on other people for all of her care. (Getty Stock Photo)

However, Deg ultimately chose a more natural way to end her life. She was taken off the ventilator that kept her breathing and blood pressure under control.

Since the shooting, she has never been off a ventilator for more than an hour.

Knowing that her life was coming to an end, Deg spent her last months surrounded by her loved ones.

She enjoyed a 32nd birthday party where she challenged her friends to prank her, as well as a small gathering of her close friends and siblings to reminisce through old photos.

Deg was preparing for the end of her life. (Getty Stock Photo)

Having previously lived in constant fear of infection, Deg was able to enjoy the moments knowing that she did not have much time left.

Her mother told The Oregonian: “For the first time in two and a half years, she was able to enjoy the company of her loved ones without a mask. There was no fear.”

At her request, a doctor disconnected Deg’s ventilator for the final time on July 1. She rested peacefully for 24 hours before passing away in the home where she grew up.

“She had lost so much control,” her mother said. “It was her decision. I couldn’t argue with her. But we miss her terribly.”

After Deg’s death, a death certificate was issued listing the cause of death as “complications from a gunshot wound to the neck” and the manner of death as “homicide.”

Her death was the second person killed in the Normandale Park shooting, after June Knightly died the day of the shooting.

After the shooting, Smith pleaded guilty to charges including first-degree murder and four counts of attempted murder and was sentenced to prison.

If you or someone you know is struggling or experiencing a mental health crisis, you can get help through Mental Health America. Call 988, text or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.