Grief, desperation, resolve: Families of B.C. patients plead for better safeguards for assisted deaths
Many Canadians are unaware that our legislators are seeking another dramatic expansion of medically assisted dying legislation, so the families of two British Columbia patients are raising the alarm to warn of the existing shortcomings and blind spots.
The federal government is forging ahead with plans to further expand Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD): it initially required that a patient be physically suffering and have a terminal diagnosis, which a majority of Canadians support according to opinion polling. But the legislation has expanded and no longer requires foreseeable death, and is expected to soon permit those with mental illness alone to seek physician-assisted suicide as early as March.
"How can our government keep expanding MAID with still so many cases of wrongful death?” asked an emotional Trish Nichols at an Ottawa press conference featuring family members.
Her brother, Alan, died in Chilliwack with the help of Fraser Health staff in 2019 while suffering severe depression and rage issues he did not address, which raised questions about how easy it is to seek death versus treatment.
Last fall, Donna Duncan was declining mentally and physically, weighing just 82 pounds when doctors helped her die in Abbotsford. She was still on the waiting list for a complex chronic disease clinic at the time, and her distraught daughters told reporters she serves as a prime example of the healthcare system failing someone in need.
"It is imperative that these safeguards ensure vulnerable people are provided care as a first option, not death," said Alicia Duncan, speaking virtually from her home in Mission.
EXPERTS AND ADVOCATES CONTINUE TO OPPOSE BILL C-7
A special joint committee of members of parliament and senators is reviewing the current legislation and considering the expansion to those with mental illness, as well as the possibility that someone could pre-apply for MAID while they still have the mental capacity to do so. https://www.parl.ca/LegisInfo/en/bill/43-2/C-7
As they debate Bill C-7, they have heard from experts and advocates in various fields speaking to the thorny issues around access to medically-assisted death, with most speakers raising concerns that the disabled, elderly and poor will be pressured to choose death – or see it as the only viable option to avoid suffering in the face of their current situation, even one that could be remedied or improved with more support.
“Many Canadians face, however, the prospect of being warehoused in substandard long-term care homes and we already see how lack of resources and quality care leads persons who are not dying to request MAiD," pointed out University of Toronto Law professor and Scholl Chair in Health Law and Policy, Trudo Lemmens.
Palliative care physician and MAiD assessor, Dr. Susan MacDonald, told the committee that choice should be their key consideration.
"People should be able to determine whether they want MAiD at a future date should they become incapacitated,” she insisted. “Many of my patients have told me over the years that the one thing they fear the most -- beyond pain, beyond shortness of breath, beyond anything else -- is the loss of ability to make their own decisions. This creates tremendous human suffering."
Advocates working to “kill bill C7” insist those without privilege and resources will be negatively and disproportionally impacted, and are ramping up their efforts to defeat the expansion of the legislation, urging the public to send their feedback to lawmakers.
PRESSURE CAN TAKE MANY FORMS
Geriatrician, Dr. Catherine Ferrier, told legislators that she fears the exploitation of elders and those seen as a burden to family members.
"Safeguards don't work,” she said. “Documents can be abused, I've seen documents abused in my practice in geriatrics."
Conservative MPs who organized the press conference with family members expressed similar concerns.
"Instances of abuse, coercion and non-compliance can not be brushed under the rug,” claimed St. Albert – Edmonton MP, Michael Cooper. “They need to be addressed and they need to be studied and that's something the Liberals up until now have shown absolutely zero interest in doing while moving ahead to further expand MAiD."
The federal government insists it’s not promoting or encouraging MAiD, but facilitating what Canadians are asking for.
“We strongly support better access and availability of care options for all Canadians,” reads the Health Canada website on MAiD, noting they have made investments in-home care and palliative services while working to “better meet the needs of disability communities in Canada.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.