How did we get to this point? – A 35-year Process
On the last day of 1982, Ron’s father, Ed Davis, died after a 6-month decline from esophageal cancer. Starleaf was holding his hand as a comfort at the time of his death. His death occurred in a hospital although it would have been much easier for everyone if he had been able to end his life at home with some medical support. However, hospice was not available at that time in the North Carolina location.
The death triggered Starleaf to become interested in the hospice movement and end-of-life options. Back home in California, she trained and worked as a local hospice volunteer, then served on the hospice board of directors.
During this time, she read many books on death and dying, and also became a supporter of the Death with Dignity organization (today known as Compassion & Choices).
After a later move to Oregon, she again retrained for hospice work but was not assigned due to her upper-body strength limitations.
Her first Oregon acupuncturist, David Kailin, was also strongly in favor of controlled end-of-life situations and they had many conversations on the subject over the years
As luck would further have it upon her move to Oregon, Dr. David Grube became her Primary Care Physician. Dr. Grube was an active supporter of controlled end-of-life care and gave talks on the subject which were attended by Starleaf. After his retirement, Dr. Grube has served as a director for Compassion & Choices. Dr. Grube’s wife, Lynn, has served as Starleaf’s Compassion & Choices counselor for the VSED preparations.
Throughout this time, Starleaf, always the teacher (20 years with second-graders before her neck injury), was voicing her end-of-life beliefs to Ron and Monica as well as others.
Within the last few years, as she became more frail from pain and the Parkinson’s disease, she was also aware that these afflictions would never allow for the “within 6 months of death” diagnosis that would qualify her for a physician-administered fatal dose in Oregon. That left fasting as the best way for her to control her end of life.
In summary, her decision for the VSED has been a process that built over more than 35 years.
Starleaf VSED 