Compassion & Choices NY Weekly Why: Because Too Many New Yorkers Have Suffered (Jan. 21)

January 21, 2022

Distributed to New York State Lawmakers via email January 21, 2022:

This week we launched our campaign to pass New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act (A.4321a/S.6471) by releasing a new 30-second online ad, “In memory of Dr. Robert Milch.” Dr. Milch was the co-founder of Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo. A longtime advocate of medical aid in dying and prolific author, Dr. Milch died from cancer on June 4, 2021, at the age of 78. His wife Linda, and two of his children, Melissa and Heidi, are featured in the new ad. Melissa, and her son, Ari Klein, a 17-year old high school senior (and author of this opinion piece published in the Buffalo News on ) participated in today’s news conference.

Before he died, Dr. Milch penned this opinion piece from his deathbed. In it, he said:

“The inaction by the Legislature to make medical aid in dying available to New Yorkers has become punitive. We have all the data we need from decades of experience in other states. Legislators, you need not endorse this end-of-life care option, but for goodness sake, don’t prohibit it. And by not acting on it, that’s exactly what you’re doing.”

We lost seven advocates last year who came to Albany, or joined a Zoom meeting, to meet with you and your colleagues on this issue. Seven New Yorkers who spent the final weeks and sometimes days of their lives asking for this option. We are working to make sure that no constituent of yours has to suffer needlessly at the end of their lives when they would rather have the compassionate option of medical aid in dying.

Click to view a full size version of this graphic

If you or your staff have any questions about this legislation, I am more than happy to meet or speak by phone, or to bring in a constituent, healthcare provider, faith leader, or someone from another state who has had an experience with their medical aid in dying law.

Thank you for your consideration, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Corinne

Weekly Why Archive

Each week that New York State Lawmakers were in session in 2022, Compassion & Choices New York provided a deep dive into each of the issues surrounding New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act. You can find each of these weekly communications with lawmakers here:

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Compassion & Choices NY Weekly Why: Because Too Many New Yorkers Have Suffered (Jan. 21)

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