Rita’s Story

She had to leave FL to use MAiD in Vermont - by Rita's son, Mike Mannebach

"She had the opportunity to pass in the way that was important to her...painfree...fearlessly...surrounded by family...I love her...I miss her"  recounts Mike, Rita's son.

Rita had a full life dedicated to serving her community with guidance and compassion.  She was a guidance counselor, a school principal, and a teacher.  After retiring, she continued to help others by volunteering for Hospice, was a Guardian ad litem for children in the court system, an End-of-Life Doula, and was a strong advocate and volunteer since April 2021 for the Florida Death with Dignity organization.

Sadly she developed a terminal illness with less than 6 months to live so she decided to use medical aid-in-dying (MAiD) with the support of Hospice.  But since FL does not recognize MAiD as a legal end-of-life option, Rita and family members had to travel to Vermont where MAiD is accessible for non-residents.

Mike and the President of Florida Death with Dignity, Tony Ray, were interviewed by the Orlando NPR station WMFE after Rita's passing.  Click here to listen to an excerpt from the full interview explaining how Rita used medical aid-in-dying, how her son feels about the process, and the efforts underway in Florida to legalize MAiD.