Introduction to the Final Exit Network
with Dr. Richard Cone, M.D., Ph.D.
The Midlandish Neighborhood Group invites you
to attend this special presentation:
Saturday, August 8, 4:00 pm
at the home of Ingrid Radkey on Glen Ave.
(address provided when you RSVP)
RSVP: Email iradkey@sbcglobal.net or call 510-204-9200
The Final Exit Network ("FEN") is a non-profit organization that supports individuals who seek a dignified death.
Dr. Richard Cone volunteers as an "Exit Guide" with FEN. FEN reviews applications from members who want to control their death in the face of a terminal, degenerative, or incurable illness. Applicants who have documented conditions that warrant a hastened death are approved to receive support from an Exit Guide. In Dr. Cone's role, he meets with approved FEN members, educating them about methods for achieving a peaceful death, and importantly, providing a supportive presence when the member ends his or her life.
This unique service is offered completely free of charge, and FEN is supported entirely by donations. Dr. Cone also reviews applications for Guide support as a member of the Medical Review Committee of FEN.
Please join us for a fascinating afternoon to hear Dr. Cone explain more about the work of FEN.
About the pres
enter:
Dr. Richard Cone, M.D., Ph.D. is a Visiting Associate Professor at Mills College in Oakland, where he has taught Anatomy and Physiology in the Nursing Program for eight years. Prior to teaching, he worked as a clinical research investigator at the University of Washington (Seattle), University of Zurich (Switzerland) and Baylor College of Medicine (Houston). His research was mostly focused on the pathogenesis of viruses, especially HIV and herpesviruses.
Richard was born in 1952 and grew up in Berkeley. He has a B.S. from Lewis and Clark College, a Ph.D. from Stanford University and and M.D. from the University of Cincinnati. His interest in hastened death began in medical school when he observed that some patients experience prolonged suffering while undergoing futile medical interventions. More recently, Richard witnessed the slow demise of his late wife, who died of metastatic cancer. These and other experiences, combined with reading, discussions and reflection, led him to accept the concept of hastened death as a compassionate response to intolerable suffering.