Renowned Canadian Author Robert Munsch Receives Approval for Assisted Dying

Tue Oct 14 2025 00:20:53 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Celebrated children's book author Robert Munsch, famed for works like 'The Paper Bag Princess', has been granted approval for medically assisted dying following diagnoses of dementia and Parkinson's disease.

Robert Munsch, a beloved Canadian children's author whose books have sold over 80 million copies, has been approved for medically assisted dying due to his health conditions. Munsch expressed that he would choose to end his life when he can no longer communicate, revealing the influence of observing his brother's struggle with a terminal illness on his decision. His choice sparks discussions on the evolving landscape of euthanasia laws in Canada.

Celebrated children's writer Robert Munsch has been approved for medically assisted dying in Canada.

Munsch, whose 85 published books include The Paper Bag Princess and Love You Forever, was diagnosed with dementia in 2021 and also has Parkinson's disease.

The author told the New York Times Magazine that he had not decided a date for his death, but said he would go 'when I start having real trouble talking and communicating. Then I'll know.'

Canada first legalized euthanasia in 2016 for people with terminal illnesses. In 2021, the law was changed to include those with serious and chronic physical conditions, even in non-life threatening circumstances.

Munsch has sold more than 80 million copies of his books in North America alone and they have been translated into at least 20 languages - including Arabic, Spanish, and Anishinaabemowin, an indigenous North American language.

In 1999, Munsch was made a member of the Order of Canada. A decade later, he received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto.

In the interview with the New York Times Magazine, Munsch said his decision was influenced by watching his brother die from Lou Gehrig's disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) - the most common form of motor neurone disease (MND).

Munsch commented, 'They kept him alive through all these interventions. I thought, let him die.'

In Canada, individuals over 18 must meet several criteria to be eligible for assisted dying. These include having a 'serious and incurable illness', making a 'voluntary request that is not the result of external pressure', and being in an 'advanced state of irreversible decline in capability'.

Two independent doctors or nurse practitioners must then assess the patient to confirm that all of the eligibility requirements are met.

Scholastic, Munsch's publisher, stated on Instagram that his decision to speak publicly about medically assisted dying 'reminds us, once again, why Robert's work continues to touch many generations.'

Munsch's daughter, Julie, posted on Facebook that her father's decision to pursue medically assisted dying was made five years ago. She noted that the interview did not imply that 'my dad isn't doing well, nor that he's going to die anytime soon.'

According to Canadian law, the person must be able to actively consent on the day of his death. 'I have to pick the moment when I can still ask for it,' he remarked in the interview.

Medically assisted dying accounted for 4.7% of deaths in Canada in 2023. Official statistics indicate that 96% of the 15,300 individuals who underwent assisted dying in that year had a death classified as 'reasonably foreseeable', due to severe medical conditions such as cancer.