By Christina McLaurine
After spending 12 years in maternity and newborn care, Dr. Stefanie Green’s focus changed to providing medical assistance in dying (MAiD). This Is Assisted Dying is a recounting of Dr. Green's first year providing MAiD in British Columbia. In an emotive and educational manner, Green details the history of MAiD in Canada—from the Rodriguez case in the early 1990s, to Carter v. Canada in 2011, to details on the way the unanimous decision of the Supreme Court in 2015 changed end-of-life care in Canada. Green also highlights similarities and differences between Canadian legislation and regulation of MAiD to those in other parts of the world.
Through portraits of her patients, Green outlines the eligibility for and the process of MAiD. Readers get a glimpse of what the event and final goodbyes may look and feel like. Dr. Green writes in a way that makes all parts of the book easy to understand. Readers who were not previously familiar with MAiD or do not have a medical or legal background will be able to follow along easily.
From the title, one might assume This Is Assisted Dying is a melancholic read about death, suffering, and grief. While those themes are present, the focal points are the hope, choice, and control MAiD can bring to people facing terminal illnesses. Ethics, law, and family relationships and dynamics are also explored through the final goodbyes and events of Dr. Green’s patients.
The spectre of death hangs over us like an elephant in the room. Whether it be ailing loved ones or aging parents it is always challenging to face our mortality. The stories of her patients provide an opening to broach these difficult conversations. This Is Assisted Dying is an engaging book that will stay with readers long after they’ve turned the last page.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.