Robert Munsch, who lives in Guelph, Ont., was diagnosed with dementia in 2021.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
Children’s book author Robert Munsch says he has chosen a medically assisted death because of his dementia diagnosis.
He made the comments in a profile in The New York Times, saying he hasn’t set a date.
The Love You Forever author, who lives in Guelph, Ont., was diagnosed with dementia in 2021.
He told The New York Times that he applied for MAID shortly after the diagnosis, and was approved.
When MAID was first legalized in Canada in 2016, candidates – those with a “grievous and irremediable condition” – had to be able to consent to the procedure on the day-of.
But starting in 2021, those with a “reasonably foreseeable” natural death who may lose their capacity to consent could sign what’s called a waiver of final consent, which allows them to go through with MAID even if they can’t consent day-of.
That opened the door for more dementia patients to access MAID, but there are still some limitations because the waiver has to have an expiration date attached to it.
Munsch told the Times that he watched one of his brothers die from Lou Gehrig’s disease and go through invasive interventions. He said he might choose to go once his communication is impaired.
