TAKE ME OUT FEET FIRST
A Documentary Series about Medical Aid in Dying
Available WORLDWIDE
Click HERE to buy/rent
Streaming now on Amazon Prime
“You changed my mind.” Jayne M. Augusta, GA
“Thank you for making this documentary. I watched episode one and am forever changed. Perfectly healthy, I live in a blue state and am seriously considering moving to a state that has legalized aid in dying. With gratitude.” Claire N
“I just had to write to say that Take Me Out Feet First was absolutely amazing. Eye opening, gut wrenching and inspiring all at once. I got through every episode in one night. (I could not go to sleep until I finished them.) I have (unfortunately) been with three of my close family members while they passed from cancer and it was an unnecessary torture for me because I would never let them die alone. Your father’s story hit me particularly hard because having seen the stages of dying that normally takes days, basically happen peacefully and within such a short period of time was really moving. Your parents were so courageous and your support of them was beautiful. Thank you for showing so many important perspectives on a Human Rights topic that does not get the attention it deserves. I hope there are more stories to come and I hope your work is seen by everyone. Thank you.” Danielle F.
“I just watched your series Take Me Out Feet First. I am a 44 year old mom with a terminal diagnosis. I just ordered “the package” to come to my house yesterday, so finding your series was so timely and so comforting. Thank you so much for sharing about this topic. Thank you. I’m sharing about my journey @positivelyamee on insta. Thanks again.” Amee
“This is such a small corner of the universe, those of us working to change the narrative around death and dying and I’m glad to know you’re part of it. Thank you for the work you’ve done and I’m sure, continue to do in this space. “ @Wisdomandsage
“I just watched the first episode and I’m kind of speechless. THANK YOU for this courageous and honest film. I’m a former hospice nurse and I was a caregiver for both my parents and with them when they each died. This series is so vitally important for people to see so perhaps some fears of dying might be alleviated. This subject is extremely important to me and I applaud you for having the courage to share the personal and vulnerable stories of your parents’ deaths. To me, the ultimate act of love is supporting those we love to have the death that they desire and deserve. Thank you.” Lisa S.
“I’m still thinking of her (Mimi) and her husband (Jesse). I know that I sound like a broken record, but this documentary is way up on the top of my best doc list!” Debi R.
“I attended a MAID ingestion and had told the family about your documentary. They watched it during the 15 day waiting period and whole-heartedly said it made a world of difference in preparing for their own dad’s ingestion day by removing the fear a little bit. You rock.” Katie Sue V.
Click HERE to read more reviews on Amazon Prime.
Click on the “Reviews and Messages” tab above to read viewers’ reactions received through social media.
STORY
While traveling with my family in the summer of 2017, I called my parents at their home in Northern California. A few weeks prior, my mother had been suddenly diagnosed with stage 4 spindle cell sarcoma in her lung, a very rare and aggressive form of cancer.
She'd had lower back pain for about 10 months that neither exercise, massage, nor rest helped. She asked me when we'd be back, revealing her plans to take the prescribed drugs to pass peacefully in the coming weeks. Our family was invited to come say goodbye.
In her lifetime, my mother had been a social worker for terminally ill cancer patients and over the prior six years, she had watched my sister-in-law slowly and painfully die of colorectal cancer. She knew the fate her own diagnosis implied and did not want to put her family through the stress of watching her suffer nor did she want to endure the pain or quality of life that treatment would cause.
My mother was adamant that she wanted out of her life, describing the cancer as a freight train coursing through her body that caused her to feel like she was living in an alternate universe. She skipped treatment when doctors advised that it wouldn't prolong her life for more than 6 months. She had always been very active, and now she wasn't able to walk up a set of stairs; this wasn't how she wanted to live.
We drove up from Los Angeles on August 8th, the day before my mother's last. I spent four hours alone with her that evening, the two of us talking well into the night.
The next morning, the medication was delivered. My sister-in-law, a nurse, mixed the contents of 90 barbiturate capsules with a glass of apple juice as our immediate family gathered in my parents' bedroom.
Two minutes is how long doctors recommend one should take to ingest the fatal dosage. My mother grasped her glass and drank it in 30 seconds. As she gradually drifted away, she went around the room addressing each of us with her goodbyes.
I’m sharing this story because it shows the courage, determination, and love she embodied in her final moments. She taught us that there's grace in being in charge of your own destiny. The California Death With Dignity Act is just that – dignified. Ultimately it is humane and kind.
With a small video camera, I shot most of what I've described here. From our drive up from LA, to the moment she asked me to put the camera down before she drank the medicine. I determined then that I would make a documentary about this wonderful law, with the hope that the exposure will hasten it into law in every state.
In addition to my mother's story, I have included others with terminal illnesses willing to share their advocacy for medical aid in dying.
If there ever comes a point where you're faced with this decision, what would you do? This law, legal in only 10 U.S. states and D.C., deserves national endorsement.
My mother loved her home near the top of Mount Tamalpais, especially the surrounding woodlands and views of Tiburon Bay. She always said that the only way she'd ever leave was “feet first”. She got her wish.