PETROLIA AUTHOR PENS HEARTBREAKING MEMOIR OF HER SISTER'S MEDICALLY ASSISTED DEATH
LAMBTON COUNTY, ON, Jan. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - November 13, 2021, will be a day author Dawn Stilwell never forgets. That was the day her sister Jennifer Ellis chose to end her 18 month battle with metastatic breast cancer by way of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID).
Jennifer's battle with cancer began early in 2020 and her sister Dawn, an avid writer, decided to document her journey through treatment as a way to cope. Approximately 15 months later, when it became clear that Jennifer would not recover from her cancer she chose to die on her own terms. "My sister was always fiercely independent," says Dawn, "I had witnessed her strength as she faced a barrage of cancer treatments that did nothing to stop the advancement of her disease." "When she chose MAID I understood what it meant for her to have some control back in the face of an otherwise prolonged death."
MAID has been legal in Canada since 2016 and additional changes to the law were made in March 2021 (canada.ca); however, despite this, Dawn and her family found it challenging to find information about MAID. "We felt like we were in uncharted waters. I continued documenting our journey as a family throughout this process, and as Jennifer found peace, I decided to share her story in hopes that it may help other families going through the same thing." Jennifer died on November 13, 2021, in her mother's arms with her sisters and best friend by her side.
"Jennifer's Choice: A Right To Die Story" will be released on January 31, 2022, and can be purchased on Amazon and multiple other platforms. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Windsor Hospice, which Dawn credits with taking exceptional care of Jennifer in her final days.
About Dawn Stilwell
Dawn Stilwell is an author, web designer and publisher who resides in Petrolia, Ontario. She is also the author of Healing Impact. You can learn more about Dawn on her website www.dawnstilwell.ca.
SOURCE Bluepoint Public Relations
Marika Sylvain Groendyk, Bluepoint Public Relations, [email protected] | 519-384-8408
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