In this impassioned op-ed, Compassion & Choices’ Bronx advocate Arelis Torres wrote about the importance of passing New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act. Four years ago, her wife was diagnosed with leukemia which went into remission after aggressive and painful treatments. Should the cancer return, her wife wants the option to take aid-in-dying medication to pass peacefully. “My wife and I pray to God that this damn disease never comes back. But if it ever comes back, we don’t want to move to another state where medical aid in dying is authorized…. Our family and support group are here in New York. Giving a dying person the option of medical aid in dying is one of the greatest acts of love and respect.”
The New York Times published a story in June discussing the Compassion & Choices protest in the New York State Assembly chamber gallery demanding that legislators pass the Medical Aid in Dying Act. The Times reported the passage of the bill was personal for protestors, “some holding canes, others slowed by the effects of cancer treatment.” The movement gained momentum in New York in part due to endorsements from influential groups like the Medical Society of the State of New York and efforts of activists but the bill still faces significant challenges in the legislature.
Compassion & Choices’ Chief Engagement Officer Brandi Alexander and African American Engagement Director Dr. Elisha Hall co-authored a piece about health disparities that persist across the United States caused in part by end-of-life care inequities. Educational initiatives with clinicians and the Black community have broadened the conversation on this issue, but further efforts are needed. Alexander and Hall said legislators are in a unique position to act as healthcare leaders and offered a range of solutions “from legislation that addresses access and inequities to listening and being the voice of community members. We challenge lawmakers to elevate equity-centered end-of-life healthcare for the benefit of their constituents.”
In June, Forbes published a story discussing filmmaker Serene Meshel-Dillman’s exploration of end-of-life care options by producing her number one ranked Amazon Prime docuseries, Take Me Out Feet First. Produced in partnership with Compassion & Choices and inspired by her personal experiences, the docuseries chronicles Meshel-Dillman’s parents’ use of medical aid in dying under California’s End of Life Option Act as well as Compassion & Choices’ advocacy for authorizing medical aid in dying in states nationwide. Through personal stories of Compassion & Choices advocates and interviews with patients, families and experts, Meshel-Dillman shows the compassionate and humane aspects of this option .
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