I (Patricia) got really sick of seeing hands in every article published about doctor-assisted suicide, euthanasia, MAID, or whatever your preferred terminology might be. A wrinkly old hand covered by the young healthy hand of a compassionate care-giver in a medical setting. You barely had to read the article to know what it was about and how “beautiful” and “right” it all was.
I didn’t want hands in LWD’s logo, but as it turned out, I liked this logo, because its stylized hands carry a very different message. I liked the diversity implied in the various strong, primary colours. I liked that there was a hint of a stop sign in the bright red hand. And I really liked the idea of four hands weaving together to make a safety net.
The logo suggests a way of organizing to support individuals who may be at the end of their rope and considering MAiD as a way of ending their lives prematurely. Each hand represents a particular kind of assistance, as follows:
Practical. This would include food, clothing, housing, medications, technology and other needed equipment required for living.
Financial. This would require aggressive and targeted fund-raising for particular, specific situations.
Emotional. This would involve providing a listening ear, an open heart and a commitment to community engagement.
Existential. Sometimes more than an empathetic ear is required. Whether those needs could be categorized as spiritual or philosophical, it will take someone who thinks in bigger ways to honour and respectfully engage on matters of meaning.
While LWD is no longer a “national non-profit” I’m hoping that some of our ideas might inspire organizational efforts in communities around the country.