A Personal Note
They were not doing anything wrong. They were dying; they knew it, and they wanted some say in how it happened. For that, they had to behave as though they were doing something shameful. (Continue reading ...)
Rusty Martin Dies, Leaving These Final Words For Iowans
I do not want to be in a hotel room thousands of miles away. I want to be at my home in Des Moines. (Continue reading ...)
One Year, Five Surprises—and a Growing Movement for Choice in Dying
I knew I had a lot to learn when I stepped into this role. Here's what surprised me the most. (Continue reading ...)
2025 Report: An Investigative Analysis of Implementation Barriers Across U.S. Jurisdictions Where Medical Aid in Dying is Legal
Last year, the Completed Life Initiative commissioned Sarah J. Kiskadden-Bechtel, MBe to conduct a landscape analysis of common barriers and best practices of medical aid in dying (MAID) in the United States. How jurisdictions address the implementation challenges documented in the report will shape how legal authorization translates to meaningful access for all eligible patients who choose MAID as an end-of-life option. (Continue reading ...)
A Hidden Species
"Society would be well-served to understand what proportion of the population chooses to hasten their death. Only by measuring a phenomenon can we hope to understand it and craft beneficial public policy in response to it." -- Doug Wussler (Continue reading ...)
Hospitality at the End of Life
Dying at "home" with loved ones is a bit easier now, thanks to a small but growing number of end-of-life hosts who open their doors to those who go to Vermont and Oregon to die. (Continue reading ...)
I am an End-of-Life Doula: Listening, Supporting, and Advocating
My job is listening, holding space, being present – and it’s also educating and advocating. (Continue reading ...)
More of Us Will Need Assistance to Die Well
"Why couldn’t there be a service for these people where they can get MAiD-type help or have guidance on using a peaceful, lethal method?" -- Faye Girsh (Continue reading ...)
Volunteering for Death — and for Life
We were united by one shared calling: helping people learn about and access their end-of-life choices. (Continue reading ...)
Medical Aid in Dying Allows for a Focus on Living
"Six months ... inexorably culminating in a slow death by starvation ... I cannot ... deny someone a choice that I myself would want ... under the same grim circumstances." -- Dr. Joshua Pagano (Continue reading ...)