Minutes from Meeting Sep 19, 2023

27 people came in person, 2 using Zoom. Fawn chaired the meeting.

Darshan Stevens gave a presentation, with support and comments from family members Alex, Forest, and Emily. Darshan shared an aspect of her experience leading up to the death of both her mother Jen, and her step-father-in-law Doug. With slides and gorgeous photos, she took us on the roller-coaster journey. The hope for healing, fueled by the some of the medical professionals involved as well as the patient, interfered with an honest assessment of the situation. This lack of knowing where things were really at made it even more difficult for the dying person and family to be present to the truth of what was unfolding, make informed decisions, and advocate for what was really needed. Darshan was clear this was her experience with some medical professionals, and that the Cortes community was wonderfully supportive on all levels.

What followed was a discussion in which others shared similar and different experiences. The book “Being Mortal” by Atul Gawande was mentioned, as it speaks to the experience Darshan shared. For those who missed her presentation her is a Recording of 2023.09.19 Uninformed Consent with Darshan Stevens

Business Items: Wolf asked for help tidying up the Manson’s Cemetery Natural Burial section, Margaret and Yasmina talked about the upcoming workshop on Oct 14, and Noba shared what she will talk about next month.