March 12, at 10:00 am, 3845 North Swan Street – "Medical Aid in Dying – A Compassionate Option” 

Dr. Twana Sparks will bring us up to date on the new Medical Aid in Dying law. Beginning in June of 2021, New Mexico law allows medical aid in dying (MAID), joining nine other states and the District of Columbia. The criteria for eligibility include less than six months predicted life span due to terminal illness, capability to decide, ability to self-administer medications, certification by two medical providers. 

“The procedure is not called assisted suicide, because the patient no longer has the choice to live.  He or she is actively dying, and usually in severe difficult-to-control pain, or horrendously short of breath, or gradually becoming paralyzed due to nervous system degeneration such as Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS) or Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The deaths are dignified and painless,” Sparks said. 

The impact and practice of the law will be discussed. 

New Mexico has the most progressive law in the country and is the model for other states trying to move forward on the issue.  Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants may provide one of the medical opinions, because the state is so rural.  Waiting time has been reduced to 48 hours, and even that can be waived.  New Mexico residency, in this instance, is considered ability to provide a New Mexico address.  Approximately 230 ingestions have been done in New Mexico in the last 20 months, 12 of those in Grant County. 

Dr. Twana Sparks' parents were sharecroppers in Arkansas, moved to New Mexico and became schoolteachers.  She was raised in a large family Santa Clara, graduated from Cobre High School.  Dr. Sparks practiced ear, nose, and throat surgery for 30 years in southern New Mexico, until 2016.

“I’ve led a charmed or blessed life as a musician, world traveler, stand-up comic, author, volunteer firefighter, children's book illustrator, and animal advocate,” Sparks said.

Dr. Sparks established a local homeless shelter in 2020.  Since middle of 2022 she has been providing Medical Aid in Dying in the southern half of the state and hopes for the time when people can all be just world citizens.  

There are speakers on the patio if you wish to enjoy the service outside.

This Sunday there will be a Children’s Religious Education program. Parents are invited to bring children four years old and above to attend youth-led classes. Ninth grader Ivy Stephens-Etheridge, a former CRE student, will read a story and lead a lesson on “St. Patrick’s Day.”

UUFSC Safety Protocol as pursuant to our most recent UUA Guidelines:

We will not be serving food or drinks in the building until further notice. Masks will still need to be worn at all times indoors and out, except when eating or drinking. We will continue to serve refreshments on the patio, weather permitting. Visitors are always welcome.

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Silver City is a diverse group of religious independents seeking knowledge, spiritual sustenance, fellowship and opportunities for service to others. Our programs encompass Humanism, liberal Christianity, earth-based spirituality, Buddhism and many other traditions. If you’d like to find out more, email uufellowshipofsilvercity@gmail.com, visit our website at www.uufsc.com or visit us on Facebook at Unitarian-Universalist-Fellowship-of-Silver-City.