256: Courtney was able to say goodbye

256: Courtney was able to say goodbye

Author: Scott Johnson & Glassbox Media. May 22, 2026 Duration: 1:26:59
Today’s episode deals with a controversial question: Should a person be legally allowed to get medical assistance to end their own life? And keep in mind, this usually pertains to someone who is terminally ill, and who is also mentally and emotionally stable enough to make that decision on their own. Here in the US, most states still do not allow it. But Medical Assistance in Dying is legal in all of Canada. That’s where Courtney lives. Courtney told this amazing story on the podcast about four years ago. It’s the story of her mother’s decision, and it’s both wonderful and heartbreaking. And stick around after, because I was able to record a chat with Courtney to get an update on what’s happened since we last spoke. If you’d like to contact Courtney: court.chalmers@gmail.com Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here: https://WhatWasThatLike.com/256 Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai. Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook (many of the podcast guests are there as well) Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS. Try What Was That Like PLUS free: iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free” Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app Sponsor deals: Visit www.functionhealth.com/WHATWAS or use gift code WHATWAS25 for a $25 credit toward your membership. Visit AuraFrames.com and use promo code WHATWAS at checkout to get $45 off. If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]! #indacloudpod Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up. Go to Quince.com/whatwas for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns! Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod Try Mint Mobile for 3 months, for just 15 bucks a month - MintMobile.com/WHAT Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a moment in many lives when everything changes in an instant-a sudden encounter, a split-second decision, a catastrophic event. What Was That Like-True Stories. Real People. is built entirely around those moments. Host Scott Johnson, alongside Meredith Hackwith Edwards, steps back to let people narrate their own extraordinary experiences in their own words. This isn’t a narrated documentary or a dramatized re-enactment; it’s raw, first-person testimony. You’ll hear the intricate details of surviving a grizzly bear attack, the chilling silence after an engine fails mid-flight, or the profound disorientation of being caught in a public tragedy. Each conversation delves deep, not just into the event itself, but into the emotional and psychological journey that followed. The focus is on the human spirit’s resilience, exploring how individuals process trauma, find courage they never knew they had, and ultimately rebuild. This podcast sits at a compelling intersection of personal journal, societal study, and true human drama, offering an intimate window into realities most of us can scarcely imagine. By listening, you’re granted a privileged seat at a kitchen table conversation where someone is finally ready to share the full, unvarnished truth of what they endured and how it shaped them.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

What Was That Like - True Stories. Real People.
Podcast Episodes
STAS 16: Dalia Dippolito [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:32
Dalia wanted everything for herself but one thing was in the way: her husband Michael. Sponsor deals: Visit www.functionhealth.com/WHATWAS or use gift code WHATWAS25 for a $25 credit toward your membership. Visit AuraFra…
257: Mae's ex-husband went to prison [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:55
Have you ever had a really big vision of doing something, and then the way it turned out was actually very different from what you had planned? I think this is almost universal for us as humans. Think back to when you we…
255: Jayson prevented a murder [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:02
One of the things that makes this life so interesting is that something can happen that’s life-changing, when you least expect it. I mean, you’re just going about your day – stopping at the grocery store, or putting gas…
TQ63: What makes you weird? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:03
Every other Tuesday, we grab a past question from the Facebook group, then Meredith and Scott answer it and read some of the answers given by other listeners. The question for this episode: What makes you weird? Links fo…
STAS 15: LaVena Johnson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:17
The Army claims LaVena Johnson took her own life. The evidence suggests otherwise. Sponsor deals: Visit www.functionhealth.com/WHATWAS or use gift code WHATWAS25 for a $25 credit toward your membership. Visit AuraFrames.…
254: Elaina was friends with Mickey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:23
Today’s episode is a little different. If you’re a regular listener to the show, you know that usually we hear a story from a regular person about something they’ve experienced that was extremely unusual. We have over 25…
253: John was lost in the woods [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:39
Technology is making it more and more difficult to get lost. Right now, I’m here in my home in Florida. I could pull out my phone, type in any random address in, say, Washington state – the other end of the country. Roug…
252: Blake was arrested for pot cookies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:43
There’s a funny thing about being an American. I’ve seen this with some people I know, as well as some of the guests here on the podcast. Living in the United States, it’s easy to have the mindset that the way we do thin…