Whose Choice ...?

Last weekend I wrote a post about a CBC radio series on assisted suicide. Today, CBC's White Coat, Black Art, broadcast the final installment of that series on Nagui Morcos. Here is the description of that episode:

This week, the final installment in our series on Nagui Morcos. 

Nagui first came on White coat, Black Art in 2011.  He told 

us of his intention to take his own life before Huntington's disease

robbed him of the ability to act on his own, as Canadian laws

require. Morcos had watched his father die an agonizing death

due to Huntington's. His choice reignited the debate over 

assisted suicide in Canada, and his story moved many, many

 people. Last week we aired part one of Nagui's Choice. 

Now, Brian takes us through Nagui's final days and hours with

the help of his wife, Jan Crowley and Meg Westley, the president of 

Dying With Dignity Canada, both of whom were present that day.

Again, I hope you will take time to listen to this sensitive rendering of Nagui Morcos and Jan Crowley's story, regardless your feelings about assisted suicide. The only way we can improve the range of life choices for people on the edge of life (and the family caregivers who support them) is to listen deeply to their experience and to engage in compassionate dialogue about the issue of assisted suicide.

You can read Dr Brian Goldman's final thoughts on this beautifully-produced series, and on his relationship with Nagui, in his blog post: Nagui's Choice: the Final Chapter - Dr Brian's Thoughts.