SHOWBIZZTODAY – In a move that redefines the term “plot twist,” legendary children’s author Robert Munsch—the man who taught millions of kids about love, resilience, and a very persistent princess in a paper bag—has announced he has been approved for medical assistance in dying (MAID).
The 80-year-old Canadian icon, diagnosed with dementia and Parkinson’s, revealed in a candid New York Times profile that he plans to write his own final chapter on his own terms. And true to form, he’s facing it with a signature dose of dark humor.
When describing his application for the procedure, Munsch joked that it probably read: “Hello, Doc — come kill me! How much time do I have? Fifteen seconds!” It’s a line that somehow manages to be both utterly hilarious and profoundly heartbreaking—a combination Munsch has mastered over 70+ books.
The author of the perennial weepy Love You Forever explained his decision came after watching his brother slowly die from ALS. “They kept him alive through all these interventions. I thought, ‘Let him die,’” Munsch said, adding he doesn’t want to “linger that way.”
The tricky part? Under Canadian MAID law, Munsch must be able to give his final consent on the day. It’s the ultimate deadline. He told his wife, Ann, that if he misses his window, she’s “stuck with me being a lump.” Even in his most difficult moments, the man knows how to land a punchline.
For now, the stories that made him a household name—The Paper Bag Princess, Mud Puddle, Stephanie’s Ponytail—remain sharp in his mind, even as his speech falters. “I notice that the stories are mostly free from the problems I have with speech,” he noted.
His publisher, Scholastic Canada, posted a touching tribute on Instagram, writing, “We love you forever,” and praising his “incredibly generous act” of sharing his story.
So, while the world prepares to say a gentle goodbye to a man who felt like a kind uncle to an entire generation, Munsch is doing it his way. He’s choosing his exit before the communication and connections that defined his life fade away. It’s the final, powerful lesson from a master storyteller: how to end a story with grace, courage, and just the right touch of wit.
Carson Drew, reporting for Showbizztoday.com, trying not to cry into my coffee while reading Love You Forever for the hundredth time.