Why I chose to leave a legacy to MAID Family Support Society
I used to joke that my career goal was to be a philanthropist, which meant being rich and happily giving chunks of money to the many good causes that need help. That didn’t happen, but lately I’ve been thinking about my own legacy and what cause to support. I just redid my will and decided to donate 20% of my estate to MAID Family Support Society (MFSS) and 10% to Dying with Dignity Canada.
My 100-year-old mother used medical assistance in dying (MAID) in 2017 and there was no one to support me. My older brother is very religious and actually thought the MAID interviewers were going to seek his approval. My younger sister is also religious and could not really be on board. I felt so alone.
In 2023, the love of my life Alan also used MAID. The second time around was really no easier than the first one. Because Alan went downhill so fast with a fatal cancer, I had no time to even seek support. Diagnosis to MAID was six weeks.
I have no children but do have a younger sister with minimal savings for retirement. I was the good girl, saving up for retirement. However, and you may find this hard to hear, I didn’t feel that she or my brother should be getting all my money just for being family. I wanted to leave a legacy to organizations that mattered to me and because of my unwavering support for MAID, I chose the ones I did. It feels good to know my hard-earned money will go to helping many people beyond my sister and brother. You don’t have to be rich to leave a legacy.
However, it is important to know that the charity is well-governed. I’m a certified Board Director and any good charity has measures of success and proof that they deliver results. MFSS has an outstanding track record that is valid because of direct surveys to people seeking their services. Their board is strong and for me the founder, Sig Novak, is one of the greatest people I have ever met in my long career. Philanthropy is always personal.
By leaving this legacy in my will, I’m ensuring that future generations will be able to find the support they need in going through a process that no one really understands until they go through it. I have the utmost respect for all the volunteers who selflessly give their hearts and their time to the society. True heroes.
My old and dear friend Don died of natural causes at 93 last year. He bought lottery tickets all his life, hoping for a win. He told us that he’d be walking down the street, saying a prayer to God something to the effect of, “Please God let me win and I promise to give a lot of money to good causes,” followed by a voice from God saying, “Oh Don, zip it. Everyone says that to me.” He inspired me not to wait so I changed my will.
– Barbara E Quinn
Photo by Katt Yukawa on Unsplash
