Summer Plans at EOLCNY

Live How You Like, Leave How You Like

A few months ago, I received some hate mail in response to this newsletter. We had recently changed the name of our newsletter to Dead Serious News and one reader clearly felt that we were making light of a very serious subject. She used some choice words, which honestly, surprised me. The fact that she was offended by the name was ok with me, but the name calling kind’ve put me over the edge. I removed her from our mailing list.

After the last newsletter announcing the passage of medical aid in dying in the senate, I received some additional not-so-positive mail. One email was from a woman who was clearly not a supporter of this option and said she was very unhappy about our advocacy work. She did not ask to be removed from our mailing list, nor did I. I dont know if she admires the other work we do on behalf of terminally-ill New Yorkers, or just wants to stay informed about what’s happening with the law. And I was not upset about her email. I appreciate that she has a difference of opinion. And the fact that she was able to communicate that to me in a respectful way was appreciated.

There are definitely a group of people, for whatever reason, that do not support medical aid in dying (MAID), but do want to be educated about end of life options such as hospice or advance directives. I respect their opinion. And I hope to continue to have dialogue with her, and anyone else, who struggles with the decision. I reminded her that this law would never be forced upon her and no one has to use it if the governor does indeed sign it. But it did make me aware of the fact that we support a whole bunch of people that may appreciate some of the work we do, and not all of it.

To those people, thank you for being here. We are here for you too. Please reach out any time if you need support, further education, or dialogue about your options, concerns or questions. There is a place for you here too.

Mandi Zucker, LSW
Executive Director

Recent Events & Updates

Advance Care Forms Tutorial

Please join us on Thursday, July 24th at 2 PM for a free, one-hour tutorial to help you complete the most common advance care planning documents. Lillian Mehran, PhD, MPH, CHES, our Senior Consultant for Education and Outreach, will walk us through these important forms and answer and questions you may have about completing them. Learn more.

July Meet-n-Greet

Join us for our next one hour meet-n-greet in July. From the comfort of your own home, get to know more about us, invite friends to connect with us, and learn about opportunities to get involved with our mission Learn more here.

Ask Us Anything

Q: Should I receive palliative care for cancer? I am still getting treatment and expect to go into remission.

A: Palliative care is meant for people with serious medical conditions, whether chronic, episodic or terminal. The goal of palliative care is to help deal with challenging symptoms, including pain, emotional and spiritual distress and other discomforts. Hospice is a type of palliative care focus on end of life, but palliative care is more general and can be included in treatment options for people who are not dying.

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