10/26/2026
Meet Christie Golemb, whose path to end of life advocacy began with her parents. 🤍
In 2005, her father was living with terminal cancer. California did not yet have an End of Life Option Act, and the choices available to him were few. Watching her family navigate that moment left Christie with a lasting belief that no one should have to face the end of life without good options and the support of the people they love.🌱
Sixteen years later, that belief was tested again when her mother was living with Alzheimer’s. She did not qualify under California’s law because she was not expected to die within six months, and the one legal option at home, Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking, was not something she wanted. Then Christie learned about Voluntary Assisted Death in Switzerland. For the first time, her mother had a legal path that honored her wishes, one she could choose while she still had the capacity to decide, with her daughters beside her.🏔️
In July 2021, Christie and her sisters traveled with their mom to Switzerland, where she died mid-laugh, surrounded by her family.🫂
In Christie’s words, “My mother didn’t die from Alzheimer’s. She chose the timing of her death, with the dignity and control she wanted.”✨
Thank you, Christie, for sharing your family’s story with us.💌
