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Esteemed children’s author Robert Munsch has gained clearance for medically assisted dying in Canada.

Munsch, who has over 80 titles include classics like The Paper Bag Princess, was identified with memory loss in 2021 and is affected by Parkinson’s.

Munsch stated that he had not decided a date for his death, but mentioned he would move forward "when I start having significant difficulty holding conversations."

Canada began allowing euthanasia in 2016 for people with life-ending conditions. In 2021, the rules were amended to include those with significant ongoing physical conditions, including non-terminal circumstances.

Munsch has distributed more than 80 million books in North America alone and his stories have been rendered in at least 20 languages—among them Arabic, Spanish and Anishinaabemowin.

Back in 1999, Munsch was honored as part of the Order of Canada. Ten years after, he received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame downtown Toronto.

Munsch explained that his path was affected by observing his sibling die from ALS, also known as a degenerative condition.

He commented, "He was sustained through all these interventions. I felt, allow nature to take its course."

Under Canadian law, adults who are adults must fulfill a number of conditions to be approved for medical assistance in dying.

Among them are having a "severe irreversible disease", making a "unpressured decision" that is independent of external pressure, and being in an "advanced state of unavoidable degradation in ability".

Multiple unbiased doctors or nurse practitioners must then assess the individual to verify that all qualifying conditions are fulfilled.

Munsch's publisher commented that his move to speak publicly about end-of-life options "reminds us why Robert's legacy continues to impact people of all ages."

Munsch's daughter, Julie, wrote that her dad’s plan to pursue end-of-life care was determined five years ago.

Julie referred to the feature as "great", but clarified that "it doesn’t mention is it suggested my dad is in poor health, nor that he's leaving us imminently."

According to the country’s legislation, the person must be able to give explicit agreement on the time of the procedure.

Munsch stated, "I have to pick the moment while I am still able for it."

Assisted death made up almost five percent of passings in Canada in 2023, per the newest official government statistics.

Some 96 percent of the those who chose assisted dying who opted for the procedure in 2023 had a outcome considered "expected soon", as a result of grave health issues such as cancer.