L to R, Joanne Demichele, Jane Riger, Adrienne Dare and Siridharma Khalsa share information about Medical Aid in Dying at a Grant County Give Grandly event. Staff photo. End of Life Options New Mexico (EOLONM) local volunteers will be showing death related films from 10 am to 3 pm on November 2, 2024 in honor of Day of the Dead at the Silco theater. Viewing is free and suggested for those over 14.
Each film will be followed by a discussion involving audience members. "Death is a subject many people in our culture avoid. It happens everyday, but we rarely see it, because it is accompanied by harsh realities, " says group member Dr. Twana Sparks. "People are often reluctant to have necessary conversations with others. They neglect to plan." Karen deGenevieve FNP adds, "It is so important that your next of kin and family know and respect your wishes."
The EOLONM volunteer team is presenting this education event aimed at building awareness about advance healthcare planning and end of life options care for all New Mexicans. The non-profit organization was established in 2021 with a mission to provide information and support for all end-of-life care options, including medical aid in dying. They provide support and education for advance healthcare planning to ensure people have a clear understanding of their rights and all the options available to them in New Mexico. They are a service provider and their role is to provide information, resources and education. They are NOT a clinical provider, do not give medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment or legal advice. To learn more about End of Life Options New Mexico visit www.endoflifeoptionsnm.org
Specifically, EOLONM does :
Provide resources to assist with advance care planning;
Provide referrals and resources to support end-of-life decision-making;
Inform the public, community leaders and the media about end- of-life issues;
Educate residents about their rights to choose from the full range of end-of-life care options, including medical aid in dying;
Educate healthcare providers so they can inform their patients about end-of-life options and provide the care their patients want; and
Assist healthcare systems and hospices as they support their patients' end-of-life decisions.
End of Life Options NM sprang from the 25 year struggle to pass a law allowing medical aid in dying (MAID). New Mexico is the eleventh jurisdiction to legalize death with dignity using prescribed medication by the terminally ill. If a patient is deemed by a physician to likely have less than six months to live, they are eligible to use MAID if they are over 18, decisionally capable, able to self administer the drug, and have a New Mexico address.
The prognosis must be confirmed by another physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant.
Dr. Adrienne Dare, retired WNMU professor, helped her mother through the medical aid in dying process in Oregon in 2002. For the next 19 years, she lobbied persuasively for the New Mexico legislature to allow suffering patients who cannot expect to recover to choose a peaceful exit. She says, "I have been comforted for 22 years that my mother was able to have a peaceful death. I want people to know all end-of life-options. Since our law passed in 2021, I have assembled a team of volunteers who help educate our community. The lesson I have learned is how important it is to talk about death and do the paperwork to plan for your end-of-life care. Talking and planning can relieve anxiety and lead to a good death."
EOLONM volunteer, artist, and retired hospice nurse Sally Tilton will be creating an ofrenda for the Silco lobby featuring nearly 50 points of light, one for each courageous local patient who has taken the courageous step of stopping their intolerable pain or air hunger using MAID. Nearly 700 New Mexicans have used MAID since June of 2021.
Scott Plate, EOLONM volunteer, was formerly a professional actor, director and theater educator, and is now a certified life coach and death doula. He adds "death is common to all of us, so it makes sense to share the experience by talking about it. These films give us a place to start the conversation."
To further facilitate discussions, Certified Death Doula Lisa Jimenez sponsors the monthly Grant County Death Cafe to educate the public on all matters of dying preparedness and death and provide an accepting space for discussion. Check Events for Adults at www.silvercitypubliclibrary.org. All are welcome.
Another means the volunteers use to encourage exploring information, attitudes and wishes about dying is through classes at the Western Institute of Lifelong Learning (WILL). Interested people may look to the Spring 2025 April schedule for interactive courses on advance directives, options for suffering patients, and dealing with grief.
Siridharma Khalsa, one of the WILL presenters, has been exploring the internal path of dying... fears, emotions, beliefs for several years. She believes that "confronting death head-on is an essential part of the journey and will bring peace and acceptance to a reality from which there is no escape!"
A speakers bureau is available to meet with groups. Contact
The scheduled films (subject to change without notice) with discussions are:
10 am How to Die in Oregon. 2011. NOT RATED
This documentary explores real life responses to Oregon's "Death with Dignity Act," the first law in the U.S. to allow physicians to prescribe lethal doses of drugs to the terminally ill. A middle-aged woman with terminal liver cancer, prepares to take her own life, while another cancer patient decides to suffer through his illness even though death is just as certain for him. Others grapple with choosing their own course of action, and one man decides to hold a "death party."
12 pm Dying Wish 2008. NOT RATED
The story of Michael Miller, 80 year-old retired surgeon, with end=stage pancreatic cancer who chose to stop eating and drinking to hasten and ease his death and
How I Made Friends with Reality. 2018 Emily Levine Ted Talk. NOT RATED
I Made Friends with Reality 2018. NOT RATED
With her signature wit and wisdom, Emily Levine meets her ultimate challenge as a comedian/philosopher: she makes dying funny. In this personal talk, she takes us on her journey to make friends with reality.
1 pm When My Time Comes. 2021. RATED TV-14
Spurred on by the death of her husband, Diane Rehm crosses the country to take an in-depth look at medical aid in dying. She speaks to people on all sides of the issue, uncovering the pros and cons, and the facts and the myths surrounding this controversial practice.
2 pm Jack Has a Plan. 2022. NOT RATED
When Jack, a man with a terminal brain tumor, decides to end his life, his family and friends struggle to accept his decision. Jack's best friend documents his three-year quest to die a happy man.
The Silco Theater Concession Stand will be open Saturday, November 2, for film-goers as well as the general public on Bullard Street. The documentaries will end before the Day of the Dead parade begins at 3:30 pm on College Avenue.
