Editor:
I was very touched to read Syd Valentine’s graceful end of life story (“A good day to die for Syd Valentine,” Feb. 2). Each time the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) service is requested, it creates unique and touching stories. Valentine was a pioneer in having her friends and family present at the end. What an amazing right we have here in Canada!
One year ago, my husband Dennis O’Brien was another such pioneer, being the first on the Sunshine Coast to ask for the service at home that quietly, tenderly, painlessly snuffed out his candle, ever-dwindling from pulmonary fibrosis. What greater gift could we offer our loved ones than a soft gentle passing when their end of life is known and imminent? Knowing his departure date made the countdown to the end a known commodity. Every opportunity was taken advantage of. Guests young to old visited and lit up the bedroom with laughter and joy. His wishes were made known for many things; the simple hemp clothes he wished to be buried in, the beautiful plain cedar casket he dreamed of, even details of his headstone were sketched out and now are in place at Seaview Cemetery.
There is no turning back the clock on certain diseases. The time is here to open the door wide for discussion about this gift of MAiD that we have for ourselves and for our loved ones when it’s our turn to go from incurable and devastating conditions. Dragging illness on into the terrible murky depths of pain and suffering are no gift, for the patient or their loved ones. The competent, caring team of medical professionals were so calm and reassuring and made the journey to the end bearable and in fact a joy, in spite of the sadness.
Paula O’Brien, Gibsons
