Local woman continues work with Compassion & Choices

Carrie Framsted of Grand Marais is an advocate for Minnesota’s End-of-Life Option Act, introduced in February 2021. WTIP spoke with Framsted back in June about her work and the very personal reasons she advocates for end-of-life options for people who are terminally ill. The legislation has gained support and WTIP’s Rhonda Silence asked Framsted for an update on her work with Compassion & Choices, Minnesota.

The Minnesota End-of-Life Option Act, which is modeled after the Oregon Death with Dignity Act, has been introduced in the House (HF1358) and Senate (SF1352). The bill authorizes medical aid in dying so that terminally ill adults of sound mind may request and receive from their doctor medication they may self-ingest for a peaceful death if their suffering becomes unbearable.
Like the Oregon version of the law which has been in place since 1997, if the bill passes in Minnesota, there are very strict guidelines on who would be eligible. A patient must be an adult (aged 18 or older); terminally ill with a prognosis of six months or less to live; mentally capable of making their own healthcare decisions; and able to self-ingest the medication. Physicians are involved throughout the process.

Framsted and others with Compassion & Choices are currently reaching out to organizations and legislators to tell the story of their loved ones who would have suffered less at the end of life if this medical option was available. Framsted learned about Compassion & Choices after losing her wife, Monica Schliep, from pancreatic cancer. Monica was just 55 years old. Framsted shares Monica’s story in this Storyteller Spotlight on the Compassion & Caring website.

In addition to working to see Minnesota pass the End-of-Life Option Act, Framsted hopes that the legislation will trigger discussions amongst family members. She encourages people to talk to family about their wishes, about what they would hope their death would be like. To learn more, Minnesotans are invited to join Compassion & Caring Zoom meetings on the second Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m.

Framsted is also involved with Care Partners of Cook County. She spends time with an interesting group of women here in Cook County who work serve as end-of-life doulas.  Margy Nelson, Jean Skeels, Pat Campanaro, and Suzanne Sherman have all completed training to this field. For information, about their work, visit the Care Partners website. The community is also invited to attend a monthly Death Café on the last Thursday of each month, a time for a conversation about experiences with death and grief.

Join the conversation as WTIP’s Rhonda Silence speaks with Carrie Framsted of Grand Marais about her work with Compassion & Choices.