For this episode, we spoke to Rachelle Chapman, an author and activist who suffered a spinal cord injury in 2010 that left her quadriplegic. Rachelle has since become an outspoken voice in the disability community, as well as an advocate for the right to die. She has made appearances in national media, such as the Today Show, Katie Couric, MSNBC, and Cosmopolitan magazine; she maintains a blog called “Diary of a Wheel Girl”; and her book titled, “The Promise: A Tragic Accident, a Paralyzed Bride, and the Power of Love, Loyalty, and Friendship” was published in 2015.
In this Voices of the Completed Life Podcast interview, Rachelle dispels many of the arguments against Medical Aid-in-Dying, and explains how these misconceptions negatively impact the disability community. Rachelle also details how she became involved in the right-to-die movement through Edmund Tiryakian at Dying Right North Carolina. By sharing Rachelle’s story, this podcast episode aims to underscore the importance of highlighting personal narratives within the disability community. These narratives show that the right to live well as a person with a disability, who has full decision-making choice over their bodily autonomy, can also be compatible with the value that persons ought to have the option, and therefore the right, to die with dignity.
Rachelle’s book, blog, and TV appearances are all available on diaryofawheelgirl.com. She was also featured in the World of Champions Map, published by the World Federation of Right to Die Societies, which you can view on our website HERE. You can follow Rachelle on social media: @Rachelles_Wheels on Instagram, and facebook.com/RachelleandChris.
If you would like to share a response to Rachelle Chapman’s story, please feel free to reach out to us on our social media platforms, @completedlife. Additionally, if you are interested in sharing your story of a Completed Life on this podcast, whether for yourself or a loved one, please reach out to us via email at info@completedlife.org.
