Today Dani and Marion talk about MAiD with a non-Indigenous medical professional who also has experience in the legal system and a perspective from the UK, his home before moving to Northern BC. Dr Sandell is a MAiD assessor and provider in BC, as well as a medical advisor to the BC Ministry of Health’s MAiD Oversight Unit. But he is also a GP, an ER doctor, a teacher and mentor, is writing a book and has a podcast of his own. In this truly moving conversation Dr. Sandell walked through what an assessment for MAiD is like, and Marion answered his questions with courage and honesty. And their humble and respectful discussion was an example of what compassionate listening and reconciliation sounds like in real time. Thanks for listening. Please take care of yourselves and if you need to, make use of the resources listed on our podcast main page.
ABOUT DR. SANDELL
Dr. Adam Sandell is a MAID assessor and provider in BC, and medical advisor to the BC Ministry of Health’s MAID Oversight Unit. He’s a GP, ER doctor and hospital medical lead at ƛ̓uxválásu̓ilas Heiltsuk Hospital in Bella Bella, 300 miles northwest of Vancouver. He also concurrently teaches medical students and residents at the University of British Columbia, is a mentor/coach with UBC’s rural medical coaching and mentoring program and he helps people near the end of their lives with medical assistance in dying. Dr. Sandell has worked with marginalized communities for over 25 years. He has helped develop primary healthcare services on four continents, taught at four universities in the UK and Canada, advised and helped lead public and non-profit organizations, and trained and mentored countless doctors, nurses, medical students, lawyers, managers, and others. Originally from the UK, alongside his medical career, he worked for more than ten years as a legal aid barrister specializing in health-related human rights, public and administrative law, acting mainly for people who were marginalized or vulnerable and for organizations representing them. Previously often wrung out by work or working in troubled teams, he spent years figuring out solutions to those problems for himself and many others. He created the Great Work Podcast where he reads his email newsletter, about working well in jobs that matter.
Episode-Relevant Links:
*****CONTENT WARNING*****
Each episode of this podcast touches on subjects related to trauma, misogyny, racism, medical racism, sexual misconduct, Residential Schools, as well as many aspects of death and dying. Self-care is our priority, and we ask that you please take care as you listen, step away for a break when you need to, and use the resources below for support.
Mental Health Support Resources:
First Nations Health Authority (BC), Toll-free: 1-866-913-0033,
info@fnha.ca
MAiD Resources:
Grief & Loss Support Resources:
Residential School Support Resources:
What is Before I Go?
ABOUT BEFORE I GO…Embracing the Journey of MAiD:
“Death is not an ending but a change of worlds.” Indigenous nations have a long history with ceremony and tradition around death. A member of the Gitxaala Nation in BC, Marion Brown has Pulmonary Hypertension (PH). PH is a chronic progressive condition that will, as with other members of her family, eventually take her life. And so, Marion has made the decision to use the MAiD program when she feels the time is appropriate. An experienced documentary producer and interviewer in her own right, Marion will turn the microphone around on herself. Along with family and many professional experts, she and her daughter Danielle will share this extraordinary journey with you.
By openly discussing the experience of choosing medical assisted dying through an Indigenous lens, along with wisdom and stories – about family & ancestors, history & trauma, healing & love – Marion and Dani hope that their journey will provide unique and thoughtful perspectives, encourage your own conversations with those close to you, and perhaps provide some comfort. After all, living & dying are the human experiences we all share. Join us bi-weekly for some of the most profound and thought-provoking conversations of a lifetime.
*****CONTENT WARNING*****
Each episode of this podcast touches on subjects related to trauma, misogyny, racism, medical racism, sexual misconduct, Residential Schools, as well as many aspects of death and dying. Self-care is our priority, and we ask that you please take care as you listen, step away for a break when you need to, and use the resources below for support.
*****RESOURCES*****
Mental Health Support Resources:
https://www.hopeforwellness.ca/ , 24/7 telephone: 1-855-242-3310, Online chat
NIHB Mental Health Services regional office
First Nations Health Authority (BC), Toll-free: 1-866-913-0033, info@fnha.ca
MAiD Resources:
https://www.fnha.ca/what-we-do/healthy-living/end-of-life-journey/medical-assistance-in-dying
Centre for Education and Research on Aging
https://nctr.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/When-the-Time-Comes-Final-Edit-and-Format3510-march-24.pdf
https://www.dyingwithdignity.ca/blog/reclaiming-cultural-teachings-about-mortality-grief-loss-death-and-dying/
https://endoflifedoulaassociation.org/doula-list-maid/
https://camapcanada.ca/
https://abo-peoples.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CAP-2024-FinalReport-PEOLC-MAID_WEB_EN-.pdf
Grief & Loss Support Resources:
https://www.beendigen.com/programs/talk4healing/
https://www.hospicenorthwest.ca/services/outreach-program/
https://lumarasociety.org/indigenouswellness/ , 1-866-9LUMARA, info@lumarasociety.org
https://livingmyculture.ca/
Indigenous Books on Grief and Loss:https://www.strongnations.com/store/item_list.php?it=1&cat=3027
Residential School Support Resources:
https://www.irsss.ca/ , 1-800-721-0066 for Survivors and Their Families
https://nctr.ca/contact/survivors/ , The National Residential School Crisis Line 1-866-925-4419