'Please pass this bill': Families voice support for legislative amendments intended to prevent suicide
Two families grieving loved ones who died by suicide are joining the BC Liberals to call on the province to make changes to the Mental Health Act, so those at risk of harming themselves can receive better care.
MLA Elenore Sturko put forward a private member's bill Wednesday that seeks amendments to the act regarding patients brought to hospital who are thought to be a risk to themselves or others.
The goal is to have health-care workers call a family member or the person who brought the patient in to get a better understanding of the patient's mental health.
Sturko, a former RCMP officer, said she responded to a young man's suicide and found out he had been in hospital before his death. His name was Todd Marr.
"I have to say there for a long time, particularly after the death of Todd, I felt a degree of anger at the doctors," Sturko told reporters. "Like, why didn't they keep him? Doctors and nurse practitioners are doing what they can with the tools they have."
Pictures of both Marr and Const. Nicole Chan - who also died by suicide after being released from hospital - hang in the MLA's office at the legislature.
Chan's sister Jenn, who works for CTV News, said better communication about her sister's mental health struggles may have made a difference. That was also one of the recommendations from a Coroner's Inquest into the officer's death.
"She might have been kept a little bit longer and her life might have been saved," Chan said.
Green MLA Adam Olson was at the news conference announcing the proposed amendments. He said within minutes of discussing the issue with his staff, several people had come forward with similar experiences.
"This is something that we should be discussing and certainly, there are way too many stories such as this," added Olson.
Olson said the bill was worth a debate. Still, legislation brought forward by opposition rarely passes – and it's up the province to decide whether it moves forward.
Asked about the idea at an unrelated news conference, Premier David Eby didn't dismiss it.
"If there's any opportunity for us to improve the information that's available to physicians or nurses when we're making that incredibly difficult decision about whether or not to hospitalize someone who's in crisis, we're willing to look at that," Eby said
The premier said more consultation may be needed to make sure there are no unintended consequences. That's exactly what the families say they're living with.
Fighting through tears, Todd's mom Lorraine Marr said she wished someone had asked her about her son's life. She pleaded, "Please pass this bill."
If you or someone you know is in crisis, here are some resources that are available:
- Canada Suicide Prevention Helpline (1-833-456-4566)
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (1 800 463-2338)
- Crisis Services Canada (1-833-456-4566 or text 45645)
- Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868)
If you need immediate assistance, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
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.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.