My late husband chose the day he would die. And I was beside him when that day came. That sentence is incredibly difficult to write. But it’s also why I feel compelled to say something. Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of misinformation about MAID online. Claims about what the process looks like, who can access it, what safeguards exist and how decisions are made. For me, this isn’t an abstract debate. It isn’t a political talking point. It’s part of my life. My late husband chose medical assistance in dying. I was there through the process—from the conversations and assessments to the safeguards, the waiting, the preparation and, ultimately, the moment when he died. I know what it feels like to sit beside someone you love while they make one of the most profound decisions a person can make. I also know that my experience is just that—my experience. It doesn’t make me an expert on every aspect of MAID, and it doesn’t mean everyone’s circumstances are the same. But I do think firsthand experience matters. So I want to share what I learned—not to tell anyone what they should believe about MAID, but to help separate what actually happens from what people are claiming happens online. You can support MAID. You can oppose it. You can have complicated feelings about it. But whatever position you take, I believe we owe people the truth. Because behind every debate about MAID are people. People who are suffering. 
People who are making impossible decisions. 
People who love them. 
And families who have to live with those decisions long after the conversation online has moved on.