M.A.I.D. /Advance Care Planning

      Presenters & Resource People

    Denyse Burns

Denyse Burns is the founder of Madison-Burns & Associates, a Toronto firm specializing in executive coaching, communication and Leadership consulting. She is also an end-of-life doula consultant, working with people who are dying and with their families. In a career spanning more than 25 years, Denyse has had honed her presentation skills, addressing audiences that ranged from Fortune 500 vice presidents and CEOs to middle managers and salespeople.  Fluently bilingual in English and French, Denyse has extensive volunteer credentials. In addition to DWDC, she is an advocate for the intellectually disabled and Management Advisory Services Board member and former chair of L’Arche Toronto.

   Mary Anne Cecutti

Mary Anne Cecutti is a retired heath care consultant and has served as Chair of the Greater Toronto Area Chapter of Dying with Dignity Canada since its inception. She is currently building the chapter, with passionate, like-minded, individuals, whose goal is to inform and educate the public and other stakeholders in our community on MAID and MAID-related topics, as well as advocating for improved access to MAID. She also is a volunteer independent witness for those seeking MAID and a researcher for the national office of DWDC.

    Barbara Bresver

After retiring from 40 years in private practice in psychology, Barbara Bresver became involved with DWDC as a witness, connecting with people at an emotionally critical time.  As a volunteer, Barbara conducts personal Advance Care Planning workshops for people, helping them address the “approach/avoidance dilemma” about death and dying.

Through the Bresver Family foundation, Barbara and her family have helped create a new academic position at U of T: Chair of End-of-Life Care and MAID. The foundation also supports research at the Hospital for Sick Children, Alzheimer’s Research at Baycrest Centre and “Indspire”, an Indigenous charity sponsoring post-secondary education.

   Virginia Flintoft

Virginia Flintoft is a retired senior researcher in health policy and patient safety at the University of Toronto and a member of the education and community outreach committee of the Toronto Chapter of Dying with Dignity. She has been a board member of the Cancer Quality Council of Ontario and the Toronto-York Victorian Order of Nurses. Virginia’s background in intensive care nursing has reinforced her commitment to the importance of education as critical to individuals and their families to make informed end-of-life decisions.

   Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) 

Medical Assistance in Dying has been legal in Canada since 2016 and the legislation has  recently been amended. Have you wondered who is eligible and what the process entails? This 30-minute presentation will provide a brief history of how MAID came into law; outline eligibility criteria as well as the application and assessment process; and describe what is next for existing legislation. A conversation with a resource person will follow.  

   Advance Care Planning

It’s never too early to start thinking about your health care options, to articulate your wants  and needs for a time when you are not able to speak for yourself. If something unexpected were to happen tomorrow, what care would you want to receive – or not receive? These decisions are challenging and this session will let you know how to start creating an Advance Care Plan. OR This session empowers people and their caregivers by helping them plan for serious injury, illness and end-of-life. In the 30-minute presentation viewers will learn the what, why and when of Advance Care Planning; how to select a substitute decision maker; and the process of creating an Advance Care Plan.

This event is part of the Winter 2026 Speaker series.