Book Launch: Choosing to Die with Theresa Evans

Join author Theresa Evans and John Clifford M.D. for a two-hour immersive afternoon as they discuss Theresa’s new book, Choosing to Die: A Daughter’s Story of Supporting Her Mother’s End of Life Through Assisted Death, and how we show up for a loved one who has chosen to die with medical assistance in dying (MAiD). Through curated readings from the book, Theresa will explore the themes of her mother’s health issues, seen in the context of modern medicine and our current health care climate; her mother’s garden and how botany became a living metaphor for what they were experiencing as a family; and the loving interaction between Theresa, her sisters, and their mother as they worked through their anticipatory grief during the days, weeks, and months, leading up to their mother’s death.

Theresa participated in Write On’s 2023 Telling the Truth of Our Lives, a year-long mentoring program for women who want to write. It was during this time that she began to record this extraordinary account of a mother and her three daughters preparing for death while coping with their own grief and impending loss. The afternoon will include extended live readings and insight into her creative writing process. Special guest John Clifford M.D. MAiD provider will join Theresa from Ontario via Zoom. Together, they will share their experience with MAiD and answer audience’s questions about assisted death.

About the Author

Theresa Evans’ nursing career spanned fifteen years with a focus in Critical and Cardiac Care. From 2007 to 2015, she owned Stone Path Yoga & Somatics Studio in Sister Bay. She is well known throughout the county for her teaching skills and ability to help others move with greater ease. From 2015 through 2020, Theresa taught Clinical Somatic workshops in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and India. She currently lives in Sturgeon Bay with her husband, her dog, Lily, and cat, Ollie. These days, you can find her behind the bar at Dovetail Bar & Grill in Sister Bay, telling stories and pouring cold beer. She loves to hike the escarpment and fossil hunt when she is not writing.