Moving forward

Mandi Zucker

March 4, 2026

Live How You Like, Leave How You Like

Dear Friends,

I just returned from a trip to Las Vegas, and while you might expect me to write about bright lights, late nights, and a little bit of gambling, what I actually came home with was something much deeper: clarity about planning for the end of life.

We went to celebrate my son’s 25th birthday. His girlfriend organized a surprise trip for him, and when he arrived, my husband and I — along with several of his friends — were there waiting to surprise him. I was so excited to be included in this celebration and I know he was shocked! It was a reminder that life is made up of shared experiences, thoughtful planning, and the people we gather around us.

Yes, I did win $200 gambling. And yes, I also spent far more than that on dinners and shows. Las Vegas has a way of teaching you quickly that while small wins are exciting, the real investment is in the experiences you choose and the people you share them with.

That realization stayed with me.

We plan birthday surprises. We plan vacations. We plan dinners and entertainment. Yet so many of us avoid planning for the one event we all know will eventually come — the end of our lives.

Walking through the dazzling hotels and carefully designed experiences in Las Vegas, I couldn’t help but think about how intentional everything there is. Nothing is left to chance. The casinos are designed to keep you from leaving. The stores are designed to make you want to spend money as soon as you win it. The experiences are designed to make you feel like it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. It is very well planned.

Shouldn’t we offer that same gift to our families when it comes to our final chapter?

End-of-life planning isn’t about being morbid. It’s about love. It’s about removing guesswork and financial stress. It’s about ensuring that when the time comes, our families can focus on remembering, honoring, and supporting one another instead of scrambling to make difficult decisions.

Las Vegas reminded me that life is unpredictable — sometimes you win $200, sometimes you spend more than you planned — but the experiences that truly matter are the ones we prepare for with intention.

Thank you for being part of this community that believes in thoughtful planning and caring for the people we love. I’m more convinced than ever that the greatest gift we can leave behind is peace of mind.

Also, how cute is my son?!??!

Sincerely,
Mandi Zucker
Executive Director

Recent Events & Updates

Celebrate The Passage of Medical Aid in Dying

We are thrilled to see do many of you registering for our celebration and fundraiser in honor of the passage of Medical Aid in Dying and the work we are doing to ensure a smooth implementation. Registration is currently at 60% so if you are planning to join us, please ask for an official invitation so you can be on the guest list. No one will be allowed in without prior registration so please make sure to do that right away. The event is on March 24th at 6:30 PM in New York City. If you would like to attend, please let us know and we will send you an invitation.

Upcoming Events

We have several upcoming events that we encourage you to join, including our first virtual End of Life Binder Making Session, where we will review advance care planning and introduce our bing/ every participant will relieve a free PDF of the binder contents ahead of time so you will have time to review. Join us!

Online Meet-n-Greet – March 9 at 3 PM -This one-hour introduction to End of Life Choices New York allows you to get to know us in a small, virtual setting. We will share our focus on death positivity, normalize conversations about end of life, and give you an update on our work. Register for this free session here.
Online Legacy League – March 12 at 10 AM -Join us for a no-agenda hang out to talk about death and dying. Bring your questions, worries and curiosities as we demystify and de-taboo death. Register for this free event here.
End of Life Binder Making- March 16 at 1 PM- Join us to make your customizable collection of documents that serves as your guide to making your wishes and values know in a crisis and at the end of life. Register for this free event here.
Fundraiser/Celebration- March 24 at 6:30 PM- Join us in Manhattan to celebrate the passage of medical aid in dying and raise the necessary funds to make sure people can use this option when they need it. Email us for an invitation. The event is free to attend, although we will ask for a donation.
In-Person Legacy League – March 26 at 10 AM – Join is in Manhattan at Pier 57 to be with community to demystify death and dying. It’s interactive and fun. Register for this free event here.

Upcoming on Medical Aid in Dying Implementation

Our work with the Academy of Aid-in-Dying Medicine (The Academy) continues, as more people and agencies are expressing interest in supporting efforts to bring more awareness, resources and education to the public and professionals about aid-in-dying care.

We have created a flyer to highlight our partnership and provide as much service and support to people that are interested as possible. Please view it and share it with anyone you think could benefit from resources and education. Together with The Academy, we are your go-to source for all things related to the implementation of excellent aid-in-dying care. Please reach out to us with questions, concerns and needs.

We are already getting requests from people asking to be connected to doctors and other clinicians who can support them once the law goes into effect. But we won’t know who is providing what unless you tell us. If you are a clinician of any sort (doctor, nurse, social worker, chaplain, volunteer, doula, etc.), please complete this survey. We are working on a map of services around the state. This survey will allow us to peer people to the right clinicians//facilities in their neighborhood.

If you learn of trainings in your community, please forward them to us so we can reach out and let them know about the support we can provide. We are thrilled that we have been seeing trainings popping up and we want to support any organization to provide the best quality care possible.

If you did not see this powerful article in New York magazine, I highly encourage you to read it. Jeremy has been, and continues to be, a unique voice in this space. As much as he doesn’t want to take all of the credit, he has a perspective and experience that many people don’t, and it makes his efforts more poignant.

If you, or someone you know, may be interested in sharing their story in an effort to bring more awareness about medical aid in dying, we know several very sensitive reporters who would be interested in speaking with you. Please let us know if you’d be open to considering that.

Ask Us Anything

Q: I have completed my advance directives. Where should I store them so they are safe?

A: Completing the documents do not guarantee that they will be enforced. The most important thing you can do is appoint a health care agent who will advocate for you and make sure they have a copy of your directives, as well as anyone who is named as a alternate agent. In case of an emergency, they can provide copies to healthcare workers and use them to refresh their memory about your wishes. Keep another copy in an obvious place in your home, like on the refrigerator, not locked a safe that no one knows how to access. Also give one to your primary medical care provider and consider giving one to your adult children even if they are not your health care agent if they may end up in a hospital with you before anyone else.

If you have a question you’d like answered, send it here!

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