Personal Stories Power Our Movement

The Generational Impact of ALS: The Importance of Advance Planning

Written by: Laura Taxel

Brandy Gleason’s mother, Nannette Livingston, passed away in 2019 at 56. The cause of death was ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The same disease took Brandy’s grandmother and great-grandfather. Often called Lou Gehrig’s Disease in memory of the famous New York Yankees baseball player whose career it ended in 1939, ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that starts with muscle weakness and leads to loss of all motor function and ultimately complete paralysis. It is always fatal.

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advocacy
The Shapiro Brothers

Jeremy and Eric Shapiro are brothers. Both live and work in and around Shaker Heights, Ohio, not far from where they were born and raised. One is a doctor that treats the body, and the other works to heal the mind. They share the belief that the terminally ill should have access to medical aid in dying, making them part of a nationwide movement to rethink end-of-life care and what it should include.

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advocacy
Mother’s deathbed request becomes daughter Vikki’s mission.

VIDEO (4 min.): This short video combines Vikki’s experience with her mother, Betty, with information about medical aid in dying to help Ohioans understand the facts about this option. Polling shows that an overwhelming number of Ohioans, across all demographics, want an aid in dying option. Vikki’s story helps explain why.

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death with dignity
The Story of Jack Rowe

Jack Rowe was the stepfather of Lisa Vigil Schattinger, the founder of Ohio End of Life Options. He died peacefully in 2014 using Oregon’s Death with Dignity law.

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advocacy
The Leslie Keller-Biehl Memorial Fund

By Alex Keller-Biehl. My mom died of cancer this past April and it was my privilege to be her caregiver at the end of her life. Even with hospice care, her death was not the peaceful end that she wanted. In honor of her life, my family and I have started a fundraising drive and are matching your donations.

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Pamela Gredicak Hot Air Balloon
advocate
Pamela Gredicak (1965-2020): Control Over My Death

With great sadness, we share Pamela’s story again and endeavor to honor her memory in moving forward. Pamela met life head on, with an infectious smile and the goal of having the option of Medical Aid in Dying at the end of her life. We are humbled to be the recipients of donations in her memory.

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Death with Dignity Act
Remembering Jack, The Influencer

Our executive director Lisa Vigil Schattinger shares how connecting with a doctor who remembers her stepfather’s words provided a meaningful affirmation.

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Before and After: The Stories of Two People and the Maine Death with Dignity Act

It will take 10 minutes to watch two videos about two people from Maine. Both had terminal diagnoses. One suffered in death and one had a peaceful death. One was before and one was after Maine passed its Death with Dignity Act. Take the 10 minutes to watch these videos now and you will have something powerful to share with people new to this issue and why we want to bring this option to Ohio.

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advocate
Muffy Kaesberg, Board Chair

Kathryn (Muffy) Kaesberg, our Chair of the Board, is a Cleveland native. Muffy came to the Ohio End of Life Options board after experiencing firsthand the prolonged death

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