When Life Demands the Unthinkable
Unthinkable Decisions is a compassionate guide through healthcare’s most difficult decisions, written by Dr. Cynda Hylton Rushton — Anne and George L. Bunting Professor of Clinical Ethics and Nursing at Johns Hopkins University.
You're Not Alone in this Impossible Moment.
No one wants to hear that Mom can no longer live safely alone. No parent imagines having to choose between treatments for their child. No family ever expects to face decisions about life support, dignity, or letting go. These moments are unthinkable — because they involve the people we love most.
Hi, I'm Cynda.
Watch Cynda's Message
For over 40 years, I’ve been a nurse walking alongside families in their darkest hours. I’ve held space for parents making treatment decisions for critically ill children. I’ve guided adult children through choices about aging parents. I’ve witnessed extraordinary courage in the face of impossible circumstances. I know these decisions feel overwhelming. I know you feel unprepared. I know you’re wondering if you’re strong enough or wise enough to make choices that feel impossible. You are.
And I'm here to help you find your way.
The Decisions That Change Everything
Cynda Hylton Rushton
If there were easy answers, you'd already have them.
Moving a parent with dementia to assisted living or a nursing home
Choosing between treatments that might work — but come with devastating risks
Deciding about life support when there's little hope for recovery
Navigating mental health crises or addiction interventions
Weighing quality of life against the length of a life
Making reproductive decisions in the face of difficult diagnoses
"These decisions are hard because they matter deeply. You don't need perfect answers—you need ones you can live with."
Dr. Cynda Rushton
My New Book
Unthinkable
Decisions
This isn’t a book that tells you what to do. It’s a companion for the journey — offering the tools, questions, and frameworks to help you make decisions that honor your values and your loved one’s wishes.
Inside, you'll discover
How to identify what truly matters when everything feels wrong
Tools for working through guilt, fear, and feeling "unqualified"
Ways to find peace with imperfect choices
Guidance for having conversations no one wants to have
Stories of families who've found their way through similar struggles
Get Your "Where Do You Start" Toolkit
When you’re drowning in impossible choices, sometimes you just need to know: What’s the very first step?
This free guide includes:
- Clarifying questions for overwhelming moments
- Values identification worksheet
- Family conversation starters
- Resources for immediate support
You Don't Have to Carry This Alone
These decisions feel unbearable because they are about what matters most. That weight you’re carrying? It’s love. And love deserves support, guidance, and compassion — not judgment.
Take my hand. Let's walk through this together.
Cynda Hylton Rushton has spent decades as a nurse, caring for patients and families at some of life’s most vulnerable moments. She applies the wisdom from hundreds of clinical ethics consultations to real world scenarios in healthcare. She is a mother of two daughters and shares her life with a loving partner. An avid knitter, Cynda finds joy in creating, whether with yarn or with the human connections at the heart of healthcare. She loves spending time in nature, especially among the red rocks of Sedona, where she finds peace and inspiration. Passionate about bringing trust, compassion, and courage into healthcare, she writes to help families navigate the difficult decisions that can arise along life’s journey—with heart, honesty, and hope.