Navigated to When We Face the End of Life, ‘It’s Not Sadness We Should Fear. It’s Regret.’

When We Face the End of Life, ‘It’s Not Sadness We Should Fear. It’s Regret.’

January 9
17 mins

Episode Description

Sarah Wildman lost her 14-year-old daughter, Orli, to cancer in March 2023. Before she died, Orli had questions about the end of her life, but as Wildman explains in this episode, that conversation wasn’t encouraged by Orli’s doctors and caregivers. Wildman argues that health care providers need to be frank and empathetic with patients and their families about the realities of death. “Everyone deserves the opportunity to sit with these questions at the end of life,” she says. “It’s not impossible, but doing so requires us to recognize: It’s not sadness we should fear. It’s regret.”

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