Children’s author Robert Munsch approved for medically assisted dying in Canada

Celebrated children’s author Robert Munsch has been approved for medically assisted dying in Canada, he told the New York Times Magazine, joining thousands of people who use the country’s medical assistance in dying (MAID) program.

Munsch, whose more than 85 published books include The Paper Bag Princess and Love You Forever, was diagnosed with dementia in 2021 and also has Parkinson’s disease. He told the magazine he had not set a date for the procedure and plans to proceed "when I start having real trouble talking and communicating. Then I'll know." He added that he must "pick the moment when I can still ask for it," reflecting the legal requirement that a person be able to actively consent on the day of death.

Under Canadian law, which first legalized MAID in 2016, people over 18 are eligible if they have a "serious and incurable illness," make a voluntary request free of external pressure, and are in an "advanced state of irreversible decline in capability." Two independent assessors — either doctors or nurse practitioners — must confirm that all eligibility criteria are met. The law was amended in 2021 to expand eligibility to include people with serious and chronic physical conditions even if the conditions are not imminently life-threatening.

Munsch, 75, has sold more than 80 million copies of his books in North America and they have been translated into at least 20 languages, including Arabic, Spanish and Anishinaabemowin. He was made a member of the Order of Canada in 1999 and received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame a decade later.

The author told the magazine that his decision was influenced by watching his brother die from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most common form of motor neurone disease. "They kept him alive through all these interventions. I thought, let him die," Munsch said.

Munsch’s daughter, Julie, posted on Facebook that his decision to pursue medically assisted dying was made five years ago. She called the New York Times Magazine interview "great," and said the article did not indicate that her father "isn't doing well, nor that he's going to die anytime soon." Scholastic, Munsch’s publisher, said in a statement on Instagram that his choice to speak publicly about medically assisted dying "reminds us, once again, why Robert's work continues to touch many generations."

The use of MAID has increased in Canada since legalization. Government figures show that medically assisted dying accounted for 4.7 percent of deaths in Canada in 2023, the most recent year for which full statistics are available. Some 15,300 people received MAID that year, and about 96 percent of those deaths were judged to be reasonably foreseeable because of severe medical conditions such as cancer.

Advocates and critics have debated the expansion of MAID eligibility since the 2021 changes. Proponents say the law provides an option for people facing unbearable suffering and loss of dignity, while opponents raise concerns about protections for vulnerable populations and the interpretation of eligibility criteria. The federal government and provincial health authorities continue to monitor and report on MAID practice and outcomes.

Munsch’s announcement renewed public attention to the complex legal and ethical framework surrounding medically assisted dying in Canada and the personal choices faced by people living with progressive neurological diseases. He has said he will move forward when his ability to communicate meaningfully declines, a decision that underlines the legal emphasis on capacity and informed consent in MAID cases.