Red and Julie are delighted to welcome colleagues and friends (and past What now? guests) Dr. John Beamish and Dr. Kaetlen Wilson. The foursome gathered for a robust conversation about some of the unique aspects of grief with a MAiD (medical assistance in dying) death. They discuss how MAiD can be disenfranchised grief: grief that is not recognized or supported in a culturally normative manner.

They also delve into how family dynamics, secrecy, contrasting emotional responses, and the actual provision of MAiD can manifest distinct grief experiences. The group brings their many years of experience supporting families through MAiD, both prior to death and during the grieving journey. As MAiD becomes more commonplace in our Canadian context, this episode will be enlightening and supportive for all.

Have feedback about the podcast? Have an idea for a future episode? Get in touch with us: whatnow@hospicepeterborough.org

This episode was sparked by an email from a listener who had been the primary care provider to a person who was not family, but over the course of many years became a dear friend, leaving them to feel as if their grief was unrecognized or disenfranchised after the friend's passing.

It caused us to stop and take a moment to consider situations and relationships when particular losses are not acknowledged or supported by our cultural norms and standards and how these circumstances impact the caregiving and grief journey.

Have feedback about the podcast? Have an idea for a future episode? Get in touch with us: whatnow@hospicepeterborough.org

Dr. Robert Macauley helps us kick off Season 4 with his powerful book Because I Knew You – How Some Remarkable Sick Kids Healed a Doctor’s Soul. At first glance, a book about children living with and dying from terminal illness might sound unbearably heavy, but listeners will find this episode surprisingly uplifting. Through his words and stories, Dr. Macauley reminds us of the deep goodness and resilience in our world.

His personal journey spans from Episcopalian priest to medical ethicist, and ultimately to pediatric palliative care physician. Woven throughout is how these experiences helped in his own healing from childhood sexual abuse.

Dr. Macauley’s skilled storytelling of the lives of these remarkable children invites us to connect with our own vulnerability, our shared humanity, and the unexpected beauty that can be found even in tragedy. Simply put, he is genuinely human — and we know that will come through in this conversation.

All proceeds from his book go to support the pediatric palliative care program at OHSU, with a portion contributed to Darkness to Light (d2l.org), an organization dedicated to preventing child sexual abuse.

Have feedback about the podcast? Have an idea for a future episode? Get in touch with us: whatnow@hospicepeterborough.org