Robert Manche is the author of the beloved children of the paper bag princess and love forever, and says he was approved for his dying medical assistance (maid) after he was diagnosed with dementia and Parkinson's disease.
In Munsch's New York Times profile, the author stated that he applied to the maid, a practice legalized in 2016, and that his application was approved.
Munsch, 80, joked to the outlet where his application said, “Hello, Doc – Kill me! How long do I have? 15 seconds!”
He said he had watched one of his siblings die slowly of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease.
“They kept him alive through all these interventions. I thought, 'Let him die,'” Manche said.
The author said, “I don't want it to last that long,” adding that he thinks he's going, “I know when I really start talking and communicating.”
Robert Munsch from Dufferin St. Clair Library January 14th, 2010.
Michael Sparric/Toronto Star via Getty Images
Under Canadian Maid Law, Manche must be able to actively agree on the day of his death.
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“I still have to choose the moment when I can ask for it,” Manche explained to the Times.
Manche told his wife Anne that if he missed the opportunity she “sticks to me being a lump.”
The author, who published more than 70 books in his career, said he didn't want to be here “when he can't recognize the people I love.”
For now, he said his old story survived his diagnosis and was with him.
“The story has found that it's pretty much free from the problems I have in my speech,” he said.
In Canada, those who wish to receive a maid must meet eligibility criteria, including at least 18 years of age, decision-making ability, publicly funded health services, and making voluntary requests that are not the result of external pressure.
Additionally, the person must have a serious and incurable disease, illness, or disorder, and is in a state of irreversible decline in ability and a progressive state of permanent and unbearable physical or psychological distress that the person considers to be acceptable.
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Munsch was appointed the Order of Canada in 1999 and won a star in Canada's Walk of Fame in 2009.
Robert Manche will be attending a walk of Canadian fame at the Four Season Centre for Performing Arts, held in Toronto on September 12, 2009.
George Pimentel/Wiramege
After the New York Times profile was released, Scholastic Canada shared a statement on Instagram saying, “As a proud publisher of Robert Munsch's beloved books, we are grateful for all the stories he shares. We love you forever.”
“This New York Times article by Katie Engelhart gives us a strong glimpse into the man behind the story. We join those who have expressed their deep appreciation for this opportunity to understand and connect with Robert Manche in new ways,” the publisher wrote.
“To open like this is a very generous act and reminds me once again why Robert's work has been touched by generations.”
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