Member-only story
Medical Assistance in Dying Is a Humane Option for the Fortunate Few
A personal account of accompanying a loved one on her end-of-life journey
We don’t choose to be born, but we should have the right to decide to die.
After supporting a beloved family member through the process of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID), I’m incredibly grateful to have this option in Canada. Accompanying my aunt on her end-of-life journey was a heartbreaking experience — and an honour. I hope my story will help if you ever go through this.
In December 2020, my aunt chose to end her life. She was in the final stages of leukemia and asked me, her only relative in Canada, to be with her when she died. With a heavy heart, I agreed to support her in whatever ways she needed. The weeks that followed were some of the most painful and memorable of my life.
You can read this via my friend link if you are not yet a Medium member.
Losing independence
Six years after doctors gave her six months to live, my aunt’s luck had finally run out. She’d been the poster child for a new drug called Vidaza. Beyond all expectations, she’d had five good years since her diagnosis. She’d made the most of every…
