Life & Work with Aditi Sethi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aditi Sethi.

Aditi, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?

I first met Ethan Sisser in March of 2021. At age thirty-six, Ethan sat alone in a hospital bed with only weeks to live. Through live-streaming technology, Ethan made the brave choice to invite the entire world to his death. The biomedical model of death and dying was not offering him the experience he yearned for, so he put out an online request to find a community to support his vision, with the distinct desire to film his entire process. He, like me, believed death to be the ultimate teacher. Thus, our soul contract was born.

I heard his call and knew I could remain his Hospice physician and keep his pain managed and provide comfort, or I could offer him a communal death care experience and help him fulfill what he knew he was meant to do: teach others how to die. He wanted what I had envisioned for others, so I walked away from being his doctor in order to become his death doula. His legacy film that captured his final season of life is called “The Last Ecstatic Days.”

As Ethan took his final breaths, I knew it was time to embark on a journey that had long called to me. What emerged was the Center for Conscious Living & Dying, a nonprofit dedicated to nurturing a community that celebrates the sacredness and creativity of the human spirit and dignifies the final stages of all life. Our goal at CCLD is to offer safe, community-supported end-of-life care free of charge for those dying, as well as educational offerings and programs to facilitate a collective shift in our society toward death, dying, and grief. I created the Center for Conscious Living & Dying in hopes of replicating what Ethan offered: an invitation to remember we are all worthy of a loving death. Ethan’s legacy shows us what it means to say yes to a stranger. To live life to its fullest. To gather in a community to die, dancing and loving and holding each other.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

The Center for Conscious Living & Dying is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to providing care for those in their final months of life in a home-like environment with 24/7 volunteer support at no cost to the family or resident. We are dependent on philanthropy and the generosity of our donors. Some of the challenges we have faced is that many of the existing grants we have looked at do not fund operational or capital costs. We are so grateful for the support of our generous donors and are seeking ongoing financial contributions.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

I am grateful to have many roles in life. I am a Hospice and Palliative Care Physician, Executive Director of CCLD , End-of-Life Guide (Doula), Musician, Wife and Mother.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Think creatively, inspire your community to take action and get involved, and empower individuals to care for one another.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ccld.community and www.aditisethimd.com and www.thelastecstaticdaysmovie.com
• Instagram: ccld.community and aditisethimd  and https://www.instagram.com/thelastecstaticdays/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ccld.community/ and https://www.facebook.com/aditisethimd, https://www.facebook.com/thelastecstaticdaysmovie

Image Credits
Taylor Johnson