"You only die once so make it a good one" - Prof Samar Aoun

Samar advocates for a person-centred approach to the end of life. She focuses on under-served groups such as those with motor neurone disease (MND) and dementia, people who are terminally ill and live alone, and those caring for a loved one. Samar is the Perron Institute Research Chair in Palliative Care at the University of Western Australia and an Adjunct Professor at La Trobe University. She co-founded the South West Compassionate Communities Network in 2018 and leads the Compassionate Connectors Program. Her work mobilises and equips people to better support those living with a life limiting illness and those who are grieving. In this conversation, we learn about the spark that started Samar’s passion for palliative care and reflect on her own Australian story as a migrant from Lebanon. As Samar says, “you only die once so make it a good one”.