When Mom Chooses to Die: Experiences with California’s Medical Aid-in-dying Law, the End of Life Option Act
Sisters Marge Wurgel and Loretta Solsberry relate the experience of their Mom’s sudden diagnosis of metastasized cancer and her decision to take control and end her life on her own terms.
..an almost perfect death
– -Marge Wurgel
Laurie Schmid talks about her mother’s death in the care center of a retirement home using the End of Life Option Act with her long-term primary care doctor and friend Faye Girsh in attendance.
Lynda Engle talks about her husband’s struggle with cancer, how he qualified and received the end-of-life drug, had a much improved quality of life once he gave up treatment and entered hospice, but in the end became unable to use the drug due to his mental condition.
Preparations for death: “It’s never too early to get started.”
-Lynda Engle
Schnack Judith, MSN, RN, FNP from End of Life Choices, CA told us how this new organization provides volunteers to help individuals navigate the process, mix the drugs so your family does not have to, and be present during ingestion if desired. She advises that the time to make your end of life plans are before a health problem develops. If you believe you may want to take advantage of the End of Life Option Act, you must ASK for it; most medical professionals will not present this as an option.
“Do everything early … if you haven’t done your paperwork, if you haven’t talked to your family, if you haven’t talked to your doctor, do it tomorrow.”
Kathryn Tucker, JD is the Executive Director of the End-of-Life Liberty Project, Special Advocacy Advisor of the National Psychedelics Association, and Founding Board Member of the Psychedelic Bar Association. She has worked for over 3 decades to expand choice at the end of life. In this lecture recorded February 14, 2026, Kathryn discusses the ongoing effort to allow people facing death to seek relief from psychological suffering and die gently through psychedelic therapy. She challenges us to rethink one of life’s most universal experiences: dying.
Videography by Michael Daniels Phone 858-202-0507
While current medical advances help us live longer, they often fail to ensure a life of sufficient quality and dignity, especially for those facing Alzheimer’s or other dementias. This presentation by Thaddeus Mason Pope, JD examines four well-established end-of-life choices as well as five emerging choices. It also examines three theoretical options that push the boundaries of what may one day be legally possible in the U.S. Some of these ideas challenge public comfort and policy. But all are grounded in compassion, reason, and respect for personal choice. We hope you benefit from this informed and courageous discussion about how we might expand end-of-life options for aging Americans in the years ahead. https://www.thaddeuspope.com/
December 6, 2025. Doctors play a crucial role in the way we die as essential advisors, medical providers, and coordinators of our healthcare decisions and plans. In this meeting, a panel of 3 doctors discuss why they support Medical Aid in Dying (MAID), what changes they’d like to see in the law, and how they personally want to die. The panel also answered questions from the meeting participants.
SPEAKERS:
Curtis Krock, MD, A retired pulmonologist who practiced for 20 years and a member of the Hemlock Society Board of Directors.
Robert Gunn, MD, A retired physician whose wife chose Medical Aid in Dying.
Flora Danque, MD, Medical Director of Apreva Hospice.
October 19, 2025. Board Secretary Christie Golemb and lifetime member Pamela Harper present a history of our organization and an overview of end-of-life options.
