Sisu: How My Mother’s Fight For Her Death Changed the Course of My Life

GUTS. INNER STRENGTH. GRIT. DETERMINATION. PERSEVERANCE.
THIS IS SISU.

What would you do if the healthiest member of your family suffered an incapacitating hemorrhagic stroke? And what if their recovery suddenly morphed into an agonizing quest for a dignified death?

This is the haunting catch-22 in which Shaana and her brother, Max, are trapped amid their frantic battle to save their mother’s life. After a blindsiding discovery, they find themselves now having to support her courageous decision to pursue medical assistance in dying (MAiD). In the cruelest twist of fate, they are forced into a terrifying race against time as the threat of another stroke jeopardizes her ability to qualify for MAiD. The victory they are so desperate to achieve can only result in the ultimate loss, and no one is fighting harder than their mother. With the odds stacked against her, she faces her death head-on in an epic display of stoicism and bravery. This is sisu.

Shaana has been thriving in her sobriety for several years, until her worst nightmare plays out in a more horrifying scenario than she could ever imagine. She’s never been so acutely aware that she can feel everything. Teetering on a fine line between relapse and rebuilding, she discovers a trail of breadcrumbs-left by her mother-guiding her on a healing journey from beyond! As tragedy continues to strike, Shaana follows the signs that are keeping her sobriety-and her sanity-intact.

SISU is a heart-wrenchingly honest, deeply personal story of love, strength, and endurance. As a tribute to her mother and an attempt to now save herself, Shaana hopes her experience will serve as a glimmer of sunlight in someone else’s storm.