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Maggie Schneider Huston

Maggie Schneider Huston lost both her parents in the last three months of 2023. Witnessing their deaths and the struggle for her father to have the peaceful end of life he wanted, she became convinced that the healthcare system failed her family.

“The lessons I’ve learned from my parents’ deaths are both practical and painfully profound: Make an advance directive and discuss it with your healthcare team. Make sure your loved ones know your wishes. Choose empathetic doctors who will listen to you.”

The following excerpt is from the op-ed, “My Dad Had an Advance Directive. He Still Had to Fight to Die,” by Maggie Schneider Huston that first appeared in Newsweek on August 26, 2024.

Maggie Schneider Huston's parents at Christmas time

Dad indicated to me that he did not want the treatment he was receiving. He was cogent and furious that his care team kept dismissing his request for hospice. I assured him I would advocate for him to be placed in hospice.

I told him: “It’s weird fighting for someone you love to die.”

He squeezed my hand so tightly I thought it might break.

From that moment on, it was a battle with the doctors.

At 39, I’m the first one of my friends to lose both of my parents, but I won’t be the last. The

American population is rapidly aging; by 2034, there will be more retirees than children in America, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Younger Americans must be prepared to care for our elders, navigate the healthcare system and fight to ensure our loved ones receive the desired care.