Leaving a Legacy: Why People Choosing MAID Create Videos to Tell Their Life Story

Facing the end of life is one of the most profound and personal experiences anyone can have. For those who make the deeply considered choice to use Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID), there’s often a powerful desire to approach that transition with clarity, purpose, and love. While every person’s motivations are different, one meaningful act that has grown increasingly common is the creation of a legacy video — a filmed reflection on one’s life, values, memories, and final messages for loved ones.

A legacy video becomes more than just a recording. It is a living document of the person’s essence — their voice, laughter, stories, and wisdom — preserved for generations to come. For those who have chosen MAID, these videos can serve as both a farewell and a gift — a chance to define how they’ll be remembered, on their own terms, in their own words.

The Desire to Be Remembered Authentically

When someone chooses MAID, it’s often after long reflection, medical consultation, and heartfelt conversation with family. This decision does not come from a place of giving up — it often comes from a place of acceptance and agency. The person understands their body’s limits, their suffering, and their right to a dignified passing.

In that context, creating a legacy video becomes a way to reclaim control over one more thing: their story.

So many people worry about being remembered only for their illness — for the hospital visits, the medications, or the last few difficult months. A legacy video allows them to redirect the narrative. It’s a way of saying, “Yes, this is how my life is ending, but this is not who I was. Let me show you who I truly am.”

They can share their childhood memories, the moments that shaped them, the lessons they’ve learned, and the people they’ve loved. It’s their opportunity to ensure that their story isn’t written by circumstance — it’s told by their own voice.

Creating Connection That Endures Beyond Death

When someone knows they are nearing the end of their life, time feels especially precious. For many, the hardest part isn’t the fear of dying — it’s the thought of leaving loved ones behind. Children, spouses, siblings, and friends often express the wish to hear that person’s voice one more time, ask one more question, or say one more goodbye.

A legacy video offers a way to bridge that impossible gap. It gives families something to hold onto — not just a memory, but an experience they can revisit.

It’s not unusual for families to watch these videos on anniversaries, birthdays, or when they’re missing their loved one most. The video becomes a sacred space — a conversation that continues long after the person has gone.

For children or grandchildren too young to fully understand at the time, a legacy video becomes a priceless inheritance. Years later, they’ll be able to see the person smile, hear their laugh, and learn about the life that came before them.

Peace, Closure, and Emotional Preparation

Preparing for MAID can bring complex emotions — relief, sadness, fear, love — often all at once. For the person themselves, creating a legacy video can be a deeply therapeutic process. It’s a way to reflect on the life they’ve lived, acknowledge what they’re proud of, and make peace with what they’re leaving behind.

Many people describe the process as freeing. Speaking their truth aloud helps them process emotions, express gratitude, and release any lingering regrets. It gives them a sense of completion — that nothing important has been left unsaid.

For families, watching their loved one’s video after the passing can provide profound comfort. Instead of remembering the final days in the hospital, they get to remember their loved one as vibrant, thoughtful, and at peace. The video becomes a touchstone of love and reassurance — a reminder that their loved one’s decision was made with clarity and self-compassion.

A Gift of Wisdom and Guidance

One of the most beautiful aspects of a legacy video is how it allows people to pass on not just their memories, but their wisdom.

People approaching the end of life often speak with remarkable clarity about what truly matters — love, forgiveness, laughter, and the simple beauty of being alive. A legacy video gives them a chance to share those insights directly, in their own words.

They might offer advice to their children, tell stories about the moments that defined them, or share what they’ve learned about happiness, courage, and kindness.

These reflections become a lasting part of their family’s story. Decades later, descendants who never met them can still learn from their voice and values. The video becomes both a time capsule and a compass — a way for future generations to understand where they came from and what mattered most to the person who came before them.

Reclaiming Control in a Time of Loss

MAID is, at its heart, about autonomy — about giving individuals the right to decide how they meet death when their suffering becomes unbearable. Creating a legacy video aligns beautifully with that same principle.

It’s an act of creative control in a situation that often feels beyond control. The person can decide what to say, how to say it, and who to address. They can share gratitude, humour, or honesty — even vulnerability. Some choose to record personal messages for loved ones, while others create documentary-style videos that celebrate their entire life story.

In this way, the legacy video becomes part of their death plan — not as something somber, but as a celebration of their humanity. They are taking charge of the narrative, ensuring that when people remember them, it’s not with pity or sadness, but with admiration for the way they lived and the courage with which they chose to say goodbye.

A Celebration of Life — Before Death

Unlike traditional memorial videos, which are created after a person passes, a legacy video made by someone planning MAID is created while they are still alive — while they can share laughter, emotion, and connection directly with the people they love.

Many families even choose to hold “celebrations of life” before the MAID date, where the person can attend, watch their video with everyone, and share that final gathering filled with warmth and presence. For some, it becomes the most beautiful day of their lives — a living memorial that honours life while it’s still being lived.

In this sense, a legacy video transforms death from something that happens to someone, into something they actively shape — a story they author with intention and love.

Why Legacy Videos Matter More Than Ever

In a world where technology allows us to preserve voices, faces, and memories so easily, legacy videos are becoming a profoundly human use of digital tools. For someone choosing MAID, the video is not just a record — it’s a declaration: I was here. I mattered. I loved. I lived.

It becomes an act of courage, honesty, and artistry.

For their loved ones, it becomes an anchor — a way to grieve with gratitude instead of only sorrow, to remember with smiles as well as tears.

In the End, It’s About Love

Ultimately, people who create legacy videos in the context of MAID aren’t doing it for themselves alone. They’re doing it for love — love of family, of life, of truth. They’re leaving behind not just memories, but meaning.

Because even when life must end, love does not. A voice, once recorded, can keep speaking long after goodbye.