Raw Talk Podcast

Raw Talk Podcast


#95: Live or Be Alive: Medical Assistance in Dying

April 26, 2021

Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) was legalized in Canada in 2016 under Bill C-14 after decades of public dialogue and debate. This episode takes a deep dive into MAiD, the death and dying experience, and what these mean to patients, families, care providers, and others involved in the health system. We had the pleasure to sit down with and learn from Sally Bean, Director of Policy and Ethics at Sunnybrook Hospital; Dr. Madeline Li, Psychiatrist and Lead of the Psychosocial Oncology Division, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Dr. Ahmed Al-Awamer, Palliative Care Physician and Director of Postgraduate Medical Education, University Health Network; and Steve Legere, a patient diagnosed with incurable cancer who has been approved for MAiD, and his partner, Christine Legere. Each of these individuals takes us through a different aspect of living and dying at the end of life and how MAiD has impacted their respective lives and professional roles.

Please note, this podcast discusses topics of death and dying and may be triggering for some listeners.


Canada’s new medical assistance in dying (MAID) law
Madeline Li’s Maclean’s article
Article: Medical Assistance in Dying — Implementing a Hospital-Based Program in Canada