Track Two: Disrupting Death with Tania Stilson

Disrupting Death

“Fear death less and love life more” In this episode of Disrupting Death, Kathy and Keri speak with Tania Stilson about her father, John Warren, who advocated for Canadians’ access to MAiD right up until the evening before he accessed it himself.

Trigger warning: Themes of death, dying and suicide

Fact Check: Tania mentions that to qualify for Bridge C-14 support services, individuals need to have completed at least one MAiD assessment. This is accurate for Bridge C-14 1:1 peer support. However, it's important to note that their drop-in sessions and Facebook group are inclusive and welcome anyone in the stages of considering MAiD, in the process of applying, already approved, or found ineligible.

Tania Stilson has been sharing the perspective of her family’s MAiD journey (Track 2) since her Dad’s passing in January 2023. She and her Dad shared the belief that, like most good things in life, a good death is worth thinking and talking about. Unique to the story is that her father, John Warren, was a long-time advocate of Medical Assistance in Dying. He sat as the Vice Chair on the Board of Directors for Dying with Dignity Canada from 2011 – 2015, and was responsible for writing letters, opinion pieces, blog posts and being interviewed by radio stations nation-wide. This included the historical events of the Carter Case, which eventually led to the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in 2015. Also unique, is that John’s passing was NOT deemed a reasonably foreseeable natural death, although all other criteria were, of course, met. His MAiD journey was a Track 2 vs. Track 1 experience. An event, according to the latest MAiD in Canada Report (2021), that currently occurs in only 2.2% of the MAiD provisions. Tania’s lived experience has led her to feel that Canadians who know that MAiD is a legal choice, falsely believe it is only for those who are terminally ill. She wants to help to further develop the conversations around all options, and help expand the support, knowledge, and on-going narrative so that Canadians are empowered to discuss the care options that will best align with their values.

You can learn more about John Warren’s story here: https://lethbridgeherald.com/news/lethbridge-news/2023/04/21/sacpa-hears-about-one-mans-journey-to-a-death-by-choice/

And watch Tania speak at the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OH57bh0FG4

Music for Disrupting Death was created by the ever lovely Sarah McInnis. Sarah is a music therapist, a songwriter, a multi-instrumentalist and End-of-Life Doula. In 2021, Sarah began The Legacy Song Project, writing original songs for folks at the end-of-life, and for folks who have lost loved ones. To learn more about Sarah, visit her website https://sarahmcinnis.com

This episode of Disrupting Death was edited by Sadie Mallon.