The annual Moose Jaw Right to Life banquet will be taking place on Mar. 22, and the guest speaker for this year’s event is the executive director of LifeCanada, Natalie Sonnen.
LifeCanda is an umbrella organization that provides educational support to pro-life organizations across the nation, and Sonnen is slated to discuss the Dying Healed program, which is a nationally-offered training program that seeks to educate volunteers on how to be comfortable visiting and providing support to individuals who find themselves unable to leave their home or at the end stage of their lives, making them feel appreciated and valued.
“It is a program that brings about the healing dignity of a person, not because of what they can do or can't do anymore in life, but because of who they are,” said Jean Landry, member of Moose Jaw’s Right to Life group.
The Dying Healed program also addresses the topics of euthanasia and medical assistance in dying (MAID) and trains volunteers with knowledge of how the laws surrounding such options work and how to speak with someone about them.
Landry said there are currently 600 volunteers trained with the Dying Healed program in Canada, and Moose Jaw hosted it’s own workshop last weekend with a good turnout, which gives the option for another workshop in the future if interest is expressed.
“It was very well attended; they usually cut it off at 25 people so there’s more of an intimate group setting to be able to discuss all of these different issues,” said Landry. “It's quite intense but very informative and very good. It gives people the tools to feel like they can go and be with people, be present with people in their later stages of life.”
Such support is important to the Right to Life group, as their mission is to protect the dignity and life of everyone, at all stages of life — from conception to natural death. With euthanasia and MAID having been made legal in Saskatchewan in 2016, Landry and the Right to Life group hope to provide support to people who are affected by loneliness and feeling like a burden.
“We feel that people really need to know that they’re loved. The whole program, I think, kind of sums that up in that it’s not so much about what you say or don’t say to them, but just that you’re there for them,” said Landry. “Your presence is so important to people, to know that they are valued. . . by helping them restore their dignity in a sense, making them feel special even at this time, and that they’re not a burden.”
Interest in another Dying Healed seminar in Moose Jaw can be directed towards Jean Landry, at 306-694-4111, which is also where people can call to purchase tickets for the upcoming banquet.
