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In this episode of Freedom Featured, host Barry Bussey speaks with Amanda Ackman, founder of Dying to Meet You, about Canada’s rapidly expanding Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program and what it reveals about how modern society understands suffering, dignity, and death.
Drawing from her work on Parliament Hill, her close relationship with her grandfather, and years of collecting personal stories from Canadians, Ackman explains how euthanasia has shifted from a medical exception to a cultural norm. She challenges the assumption that MAID is primarily about pain, pointing instead to loneliness, loss of meaning, fear of being a burden, and social abandonment as the deeper drivers.
The conversation explores the moral toll on families, younger generations, and physicians, and asks whether responding to suffering with death ultimately erodes resilience and hope. Above all, Ackman calls for a renewed culture of accompaniment—one that meets vulnerability with curiosity, care, and shared humanity rather than finality.
Please note the views expressed by the individual(s) in this video are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views or principles of the First Freedoms Foundation.
Contact information for Amanda Achtman:
- Official Website: dyingtomeetyou.ca — This site serves as the archive for her year-long blogging project about death and current updates for the Dying To Meet You Project.
- X (formerly Twitter): @AmandaAchtman — She is highly active here, sharing interviews, films, and commentary on euthanasia and hope.
- LinkedIn: Amanda Achtman — Her profile details her professional roles, including her work with Canadian Physicians for Life and the House of Commons of Canada.
- Personal Website: amandaaction.com — A hub for her writing, speaking engagements, and advocacy work.
Content Platforms
- YouTube: Dying To Meet You Videos — You can find her witness talks and short films featured on various organizational channels, such as Family First NZ and CARE.
- Public Discourse: Amanda Achtman Author Page — A collection of her written essays on human dignity and medical ethics.
