Humanist Canada represented at the launch of Diane Sims’ ‘Living Beyond the Shadow’

Humanist Canada was invited to the launch of  ‘Living Beyond The Shadow’ a beautifully crafted memoir by Diane Sims, on November 15th, 2024 in Stratford.  Our Executive Director, Bettianne Hedges represented Humanist Canada at the ‘standing room only’ event. Members may remember that Diane is awaiting MAID and recorded an interview with Humanist Canada President, Martin Frith.

Sims’ story is a compelling amalgam of determination, health ebbs and flows, personal resilience, triumphs and tragedies – all told through her savvy journalist’s lens along with boundless good humour. In 2023, Sims decided that she would control her own end of life destiny through committing to a medically assisted in dying (MAiD) program. This intense decision-making process is captured in Sims’ 2023 Maclean’s feature article ‘How I plan to die’, (a national magazine award nominee), one that provided the impetus for her fuller ‘Living Beyond The Shadow’ story.

Diane simply and persuasively explains why MAiD aligns with her own life and principles … a thought-provoking, ultimately human story with powerful lessons for all of us.

Diane’s doctors were in attendance and spoke of all that they have learned from her journey and the decisions she has made along the way.

The book is available from Tagong Press or at Fanfare Books in Stratford.