The long goodbye: paralyzed Alberta woman turns off her ventilator

This story in the Edmonton Journal moved me to tears. It's the story of Misty Franklin, who was left a quadriplegic 11 years ago at age 24 when a man she was dating stabbed her. This week she chose to discontinue medical treatment in the form of the ventilator that was keeping her alive. This story talks about why she made the decision to die, and how she said goodbye to her loved ones. Click here to read it. R.I.P. Misty.

Misty was able to verbalize her wishes. You should consider how you would react if you were severely injured and being kept alive artificially. Most people in that situation are not able to verbalize, and must rely on an Advance Health Care Directive. I hope this story motivates you to think about having one prepared for yourself.

The attached photo of Misty being kissed by her Mom appeared in the Edmonton Journal and is credited to Greg Southam.