The love story of Ralph Johnstone and Laura Bach sounds a lot like the lyrics to a rock’n’roll song. The Saskatoon couple decided to end their life together on August 8 by seeking medical assistance in dying.
Ralph was co-owner of the HEL Music Supplies Store on Broadway Avenue.
“It was love at first sight,” says Johnna Burlingham, Laura’s daughter. From the moment they met, they couldn’t do without each other.
Over time, Ralph Johnstone’s store was sold and the couple retired. The couple had many projects together.
However, the couple’s health has deteriorated over the past decade. Both suffered from obstructive pulmonary disease, an infection of the lungs that makes breathing difficult.
Laura Bach also had other health problems such as irritable bowel syndrome, which caused chronic pain, imposed dietary restrictions and affected her quality of life.
Then, last year, Ralph Johnstone was diagnosed with lung cancer. He learned the news when he and his partner decided to enroll in the Medical Assisted Dying (MAID) program.
“I don’t think they could imagine one without the other,” says Johnna Burlingham.
Die with dignity
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The couple’s health deteriorated over the years.
Photo: Provided by Erin Legg
In 2022, Ralph Johnstone met his children shortly after receiving his cancer diagnosis.
“He asked me if I had ever heard of MAID,” says Erin Legg, Ralph’s daughter. I didn’t know this acronym, but when we started talking about it, I told him I knew about this program.
He told me that they ultimately decided to go for it.
Erin Legg says she and her siblings accepted their father’s decision.
I think “dying with dignity” is a special term,” she says. When you think about your loved one’s painful cancer journey, you want them to retain that dignity.
Johnna Burlingham says she and her brother also accepted their mother’s decision.
They were both very active and fiercely independent, and it is no surprise that they made the decision to remain in control until the last day of their lives.
Erin Legg said the week before her death was unforgettable as many family members and friends visited the couple.
It’s a funeral for living beings, she says. They had the opportunity to speak with many of their loved ones.
The couple’s children and grandchildren gathered on the morning of August 8 to say their final goodbyes. The medical procedure was scheduled for 5:00 p.m. that day.
Jessie Johnstone bathed her father, cut her hair and then made her lunch.
Erin Legg adds that her father insisted on dressing in double denim. For her part, Laura Bach opted for a large floral skirt.
“My mother loved bohemian fashion and wanted her makeup to be perfect,” says Johnna Burlingham.
After saying their final goodbyes to their family, Ralph Johnstone and Laura Bach entered their shared bedroom.
“My father told stories, he just talked, you could hear him from outside,” says Erin Legg. He wanted to entertain the doctors.
With information from Dan Zakreski