David Maginley is a Canadian author, ordained Lutheran minister, and psychospiritual specialist with more than 25 years of experience in cancer, palliative, and intensive care. Based in Halifax, he served as an interfaith spiritual counsellor at the QEII Health Sciences Centre and now maintains a private practice supporting patients and families facing life‑limiting illness. He is the award‑winning author of Early Exits: Spirituality, Mortality, and Meaning in an Age of Medical Assistance in Dying, as well as Beyond Surviving: Cancer and Your Spiritual Journey. A four‑time cancer survivor and near‑death experiencer, David brings clinical, theological, and lived insight to his writing and international speaking on spirituality, grief, and end‑of‑life care. Known for his compassionate, evidence‑informed approach, he blends professional expertise with warmth and a touch of humor. Learn more at davidmaginley.com.
Much of the conversation surrounding medical assistance in dying begins with suffering: how much can be endured, what can be relieved, and when a person should be permitted to say, “Enough.” But beneath those questions may lie another: What are we afraid of losing when we die? In this conversation, David Maginley, author of Early Exits, explores the existential dimensions of dying—and particularly our fears of dependency, diminishment, and losing control. Drawing on decades of spiritual-care work, Maginley considers MAID alongside palliative care, near-death awareness, ego and identity, and the possibility that dying has something important to teach both the person approaching death and those gathered around them. What emerges is not a simple argument for or against MAID, but an invitation to recover a richer understanding of dying—and, perhaps, of what it means to be fully human.…
