Monday, February 28, 2022

Choice is an Illusion Board Member, Kate Kelly, Is Moving on to the Next Stage of Her Life

By Margaret Dore

In 2011, I met a beautiful blonde woman at a Euthanasia Prevention Coalition Conference in Vancouver BC Canada. To me, she looked like a movie star. She was in fact a jazz singer and also a teacher.

We talked and she explained that her mother had been starved and dehydrated to death in a Canadian long-term care home. She also told me that she had published an article about her experience and agreed to let me republish the article on the Choice in an Illusion website.[1] We also became friends.

In April 2013, Alex Schadenberg, head of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, wrote Kate regarding the impact of her republished article: 

I want you to know that I had a meeting with a head nurse at a local nursing home today who was converted by your article about your mom's death.

She cried and cried . . . she is trying to change her nursing home.

More recently, in 2020, Kate advocated for her brother, then living in a Canadian care home with strict restrictions on visitors and outings, to be allowed to leave. Per an article published by the CTV News Atlantic Reporter:

Kelly doesn’t understand why she is allowed to take her brother to a non-urgent medical appointment but isn’t allowed to take him out sight seeing for a few hours.

"Why is that safe and it's not safe for me to take him out for his mental health to enjoy a day drive around the city,” she asked, noting she has left messages with [his doctor's] office but has not heard back.

Kate's advocacy was eventually successful, allowing her to bring her brother home for extended visits, and also to visit with his friends, which gave him great joy. He subsequently died on February 4, 2021, of natural causes, with Kate at his side.

To Kate, "Thank you for your many years of advocacy to make this world a better place. We wish you all the best and look forward to seeing you go forward with the next stage of your life."

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[1]  Kate Kelly, "Mild Stroke Led to Mother's Starvation," can be viewed at this link