Dustin Milligan shared he held his father's hand as he chose medical aid in dying at the end of his dementia journey
NEED TO KNOW
Milligan described his father as a physicist and philosopher who faced his diagnosis with curiosity and acceptance
The Schitt's Creek actor called it a "gift" to be his father's caregiver and advocate during his final years
Dustin Milliganshared that he held his father's hand as he chosemedical aid in dyingamid hisdementiajourney, explaining, "he wanted to go on his own terms."
Milligan, who played kind veterinarian Ted onSchitt's Creek,shared a throwback photo of his father adjusting the kerchief of his Beaver Scout uniform toInstagramon March 31. In the accompanying caption, Milligan, now 40, said that he was with his father as he died, writing, "I held his hand as he drew his last breath. It was a gift. One of many."
He shared that he and his father began their "ongoing dialogue about his Dementia" three years ago, explaining that, at first, it manifested as "moments of confusion, repetition, and memory gaps I'd noticed. They felt like more than just aging. More than just echoes of his stroke from a decade prior."
His father noticed the changes as well, so "we got him tested, diagnosed, and began adjusting to the simple, surreal new reality: his mind was slipping away, and it was never going to stop."
As "a physicist and a mathematician and a dreamer," Milligan said his father "wasn't angry about it. Or in denial. He said he had "a scientific mind with a philosopher's heart. He found it fascinating. He told me when he noticed it getting worse, and would ask me what I was seeing. I told him the truth. And that's how we navigated it. Side by side. Openly and honest."
"He told me he wanted to go on his own terms, using MAiD," Milligan wrote, using abbreviation for medical aid in dying, which islegal in Canada."He told me he didn't want to progress to the point that he couldn't eat on his own or bathe on his own or remember his children. I understood."
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TheHot Frostyactor was hands-on with his father's care, sharing that he would prepare his meals, cut his food, and open his pill bottles "as his dexterity broke down." They would "speak by playing harmonica together, as his language diminished," calling it a gift to be "his caregiver, advocate, and son."
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As his father's health declined, his dad remained "resolute" in his decision, Milligan wrote. "He didn't want to suffer any further. He knew what he wanted. He stood by his choice and was happy to be able to make it," he wrote, adding, "MAiD is a gift."
He shared that he was with his father, holding his hand, when he died: "We sat together, side by side, when he spoke his last words: 'Hold onto me. Hold on tight.'
He ended his post by sharing, "We held each other's hand as tightly as we could. The procedure began, his grip loosened, and he let go. Now I learn to do the same. One last gift."
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