Robert Munsch approved for MAID in Canada amid dementia

Robert Munsch, the celebrated author of more than 70 children’s books including The Paper Bag Princess and Love You Forever, has been approved for Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada but has not set a date, he said in a recent interview. The 80 year old, who has lived with dementia since 2021 and has also been reported to have Parkinsons disease, told interviewers he plans to choose the moment himself while he is still able to give consent.

Munsch said he applied for MAID years ago and was granted approval under Canada’s laws, which were legalized in 2016 and expanded in 2021. He told the New York Times he will proceed when he begins to have “real trouble talking and communicating,” adding, “I have to pick the moment when I can still ask for it.” In a 2021 interview with the CBC he described how the diseases have already diminished daily capacities: “I cant drive, I cant ride a bicycle, I cant write,” he said, noting that his stories remain with him even as other abilities fade.

Canada’s MAID framework establishes strict safeguards, including independent medical assessments and a requirement that a person give informed consent at the time the procedure is carried out, unless a...