Designing Your End of Life | Maddy Roche & Zeena Regis, MDiv
Childfree Life by Design
Risks without designated proxies
Zeena warns that without clear POAs, relatives who don't know you may make critical medical and financial choices.
In this episode, Maddy Roche sits down with Zeena Regis, MDiv, Director of Priority Populations at Compassion and Choices, to explore one of the most requested, and most avoided, conversations in the Childfree community: medical aid in dying.
Zeena brings nearly 20 years of end-of-life experience, beginning as a hospice chaplain and evolving into a national advocate for equitable access to end-of-life options. She and Maddy unpack what medical aid in dying actually is, who it's for, and why having open conversations about death leads to better care for everyone, whether or not medical aid in dying is ever something you'd personally choose.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- Why medical aid in dying is one option within a broader spectrum of end-of-life care, and what the legal safeguards around it actually look like
- How Childfree adults face unique risks when no healthcare proxy or estate documents are in place.
- How community, storytelling, and even art can open the door to death planning conversations that feel impossible to start alone
- Why having a healthcare proxy who truly knows you and is prepared to advocate for your wishes makes a difference in the quality of your final chapter
Join a Live Q&A with Zeena Regis:
Title: Designing Your End-of-Life: A Live Q&A with Zeena Regis, MDiv
Date: 4/1/2026 Time: 5 PM Eastern
Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_g-AYE_5GR1O2nRM-7l9tCg
Episode Host:
Maddy Roche: Chief Growth Officer at Childfree Trust® and responsible for all sales and marketing initiatives.
Episode Guest:
Zeena Regis, MDiv serves as the Director of Faith Engagement and Priority Populations at Compassion & Choices, improving care, expanding options, and empowering everyone to chart their end-of-life journey. Prior to her role with Compassion & Choices, Zeena served as a chaplain and grief care specialist for over a decade. Zeena also serves on the faculty of Columbia Theological Seminary's Older Adult Ministry Certification program and was selected as a 2024 American Society on Aging Fellow. Zeena is also a playwright, and her latest work, A Free Black Woman's Guide to Death & Dying, was selected for the Synchronicity Theatre's arts incubator project.
Learn more about Compassion and Choices: https://compassionandchoices.org/
About Childfree Insights
Childfree Insights is a trusted resource for life planning without children. It explores financial planning, estate planning, relationships, and long-term decisions for adults building a future without kids. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®.
Connect with Us:
Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com.
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Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.
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