Julia Mackin is a passionate advocate for expanding Death with Dignity laws across the nation. She fights in memory of her father, Roger, who was denied this compassionate end-of-life option in North Carolina, and for her mother, Liz, who is now living with Parkinson’s disease. Residing in Maryland, Julia shares her family’s story to help ensure that others have the freedom, peace, and dignity her father was denied.
Why I Advocate: Julia Mackin
My dad, Roger, was the son of Hungarian Holocaust survivors who rebuilt their lives in the United States after World War II. His life was shaped by resilience, curiosity, and joy.
He grew up in New York City, discovered his passion for the violin, and attended the High School of Music and Art (now LaGuardia). He studied at New York University, lived in Italy and Switzerland, and later built a global career that took him across Europe and Asia.
In 1982, my dad met my mom, Liz, in Central Park, New York. During a pickup soccer game, he stole the ball from her, and she shouted, “Same team!” They like to say that moment was prophetic, because a year later they were married, and for 40 years they built a beautiful life together with their three children—my brother Max, my sister Becky, and me.
My dad loved gardening, cooking Hungarian food, traveling to visit his brothers in Europe, and playing violin in local symphonies. He had a sharp sense of humor, was the life of every party, and made lifelong friends everywhere he went. Above all, he was kind.
My Dad’s Life Was Beautiful—He Deserved a Beautiful Ending Too
In 2021, my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He pursued every option: surgery, chemotherapy, and consultations about experimental treatments, but ultimately, there were no medical interventions left to cure his disease. He died in September 2022, in a manner that was not acceptable for him, or for any of the family he was surrounded by, in unnecessary pain, despite the medications administered to keep him comfortable. It was incredibly heartbreaking to witness.
At the point of knowing he was going to die very soon, he should have had the option of choosing Death with Dignity. Instead of facing months of decline and the loss of his independence, he deserved the right to make his own decision about how his life would end. But, living in North Carolina, this end-of-life freedom was not available for him, as they do not have a medical aid in dying law in their state.
Death with Dignity would not have erased the heartbreak of losing him, but it would have given him control, and allowed our family to focus on love and goodbyes, rather than fear and uncertainty.
Fighting For the End-of-Life Option My Dad Never Had
My mom, Liz, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2018. She works tirelessly to maintain her quality of life—cycling, boxing, and physical therapy—but Parkinson’s is a progressive disease. We know what lies ahead.
I don’t want her final days to look like my dad’s. She deserves the choice to decide, with dignity, when enough is enough.
Death with Dignity laws allow terminally ill adults to make their own choices about when and how they die. They allow families to focus on love and goodbyes, instead of suffering and trauma. And that is what brings me here today—to fight for my mom, for myself when my time comes, and for terminally ill patients across the nation who should have the choice to utilize this option.
Share Your Story and Help Us Change the Future
I share my dad’s story because I want people to understand what is at stake. Death with Dignity is not about giving up. It’s about love and autonomy at the end of life.
If you believe in dignity and compassion for dying people and all those who care deeply for them, I invite you to join me: Share your experience. Your voice can help lawmakers and communities understand why Death with Dignity matters. Together, by telling our stories, we can ensure no one else is forced to endure what my dad did.
