Pro-life speaker & activist. Poet. I also write on disability, theology, literature, & more.
I was horrified by a recent full-page article in the London Free Press that promoted suicide-on-demand, after a Parliamentary committee wisely recommended against expanding MAiD for mental illness in Canada. Here is my letter-to-the-editor in response:
June 2025 came in like a freight train. It knocked me off my feet. I suddenly experienced dizzy spells, and a physical and mental heaviness so intense that I struggled to leave my bed and stand up. But my recent blood work had come back normal. My joint pain levels had remained blessedly stable and … Continue reading Keeping Score
I have a short, blunt ask: Can you commit just 25 minutes of your time, to save lives from assisted suicide?
“What is your vision for your vocation? How would you articulate to others where and how you are being called to use your gifts in God's service? What challenges do you want to take up? What changes in your sphere of influence or in the world do you want to see?"
Your peace may not lie In finding the answers But in accepting uncertainty...
I [used to] think thatAcceptanceWas a synonym for DefeatThat the white flag of SurrenderMeant giving permission for annihilation By an enemySo I foughtAnd fought and foughtAnd swore that I'd tear down the starsAnd rearrange their atomsBefore I would bend or yieldTo RealityI'll fight like hell, I thought smugly, I'm a fighter.But when you fight like … Continue reading Acceptance
We enter this world helpless, vulnerable, and dependent. Most of us will also end life in a state of vulnerability and dependence. And between the beginning and the end, we will all experience periods, long or short, when we'll desperately need the help of others. Some of us go from a healthy high school athlete … Continue reading No Man is an Island (or, the myth of autonomy)
The apples we place in our grocery carts are all perfectly round. Each red rose in the bouquet from our local florist is the same size and the same shade as her companions. When we don't spend much time in uncultivated nature, we sometimes end up thinking that plants always look so similar to each … Continue reading You’re not a mistake.
Dear patient, Your prognosis is unclear. The treatment journey for your chronic illness will be complex. As a start, please add in iron supplements, to improve your energy levels. I am also prescribing some poetry, to fortify your spirit. These “prescriptions” are actually, in the main, descriptions. They are not curative; rather, they will anchor … Continue reading Poetry Rx
Retired Cpl. Christine Gauthier had been trying for 5 years to get Veterans Affairs Canada to install a wheelchair ramp at her house. The former Paralympian was speaking yet again with the VAC, describing the disability-related challenges she was facing. Eventually, an employee suggested that if life was becoming so difficult for her, perhaps she … Continue reading What is the duty of the living?
Maria McCann 