I met my husband, Robert, on Yonge Street in 1987 when I stopped to say hello to his brother and I think I fell in love with him right there and then. We were together for 32 years.

He was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2014 and we went through many ups and downs navigating the healthcare system once again (I am myself a 2x cancer survivor). He lost his voice and his capacity to swallow food so he had to suffer the indignity of silence and a stomach tube. Robert was a proud man who had a career in the tech industry presenting to clients, therefore it was very difficult for him to accept what cancer had stolen. There was a reprieve in 2015, however a spot on his lung metastasized into lung cancer and he was given a terminal diagnosis in 2018.

We quickly decided to go on a big holiday and invited family and friends who graciously joined us in France over a 3-week period. It was a trip that he talked about until his dying day and I am so glad for the many memories we have of that experience.

Due to the nature of Robert’s personality, he quickly knew that he didn’t want to suffer nor did he want me to watch him suffer. He chose MAID and we consulted with his oncologists, radiologists and finally he was connected with a very caring MAID coordinator. Robert had many people to support him through this – both healthcare workers and family and friends. While I have an amazing network of people in my life, it would have been nice to have known about MAID Family Support Society because it would have allowed me to have a peer to reach out to and discuss my own feelings of what was about to happen and how that would affect my life. That is the reason I am excited to be a volunteer with MFSS and hope I can offer support to others in the same situation.

Robert died in July of 2019 surrounded by family and a few great friends. It was so peaceful, with the same brother who introduced us playing his guitar as Robert said goodbye to us all. He had a great deal of anxiety leading up to the day, but I’m so happy he was able to leave this world as he lived his life – on his own terms and with dignity.