I believe people should be free to make the choices that are right for them personally. I will outline the story of three of my closest relatives who have passed – my mom (2009), my dad (2017), and my aunt (2021). 
 
My Mom

She was healthy all her life. Never drank, never smoked. The picture of health. When she was in her early 60’s, she started to lose feeling in her fingertips, then her right hand, right arm. She was diagnosed with Multiple System’s Atrophy, something I had never heard of. Slowly, your body parts all shut down. It happened over years. During the last few years of her life, she was in a nursing home, couldn’t speak, couldn’t move, had a feeding tube, and wore diapers. Her mind was still sharp and when we had a conversation she would talk with her eyes. This was no way to live. She passed because she choked on her saliva and wasn’t found until she had not been breathing for a while. They tried to revive her, and she was on a breathing tube for two days but had convulsions, so we made the decision to remove the breathing tube. Medical assistance in dying (MAID) was not legal in Canada at that time. If it was, I believe it would have been what she wanted.
 

My Dad

My Dad had so many medical issues but was the most positive man. He had prostate cancer, bowel cancer, two below the knee amputations due to diabetes, one in 1996 and the other in 2015, kidney stone, triple by-pass surgery, dementia and pancreatic cancer. Through each of these, he was always telling the nurses “I am fine dear…go look after someone else.” My daughters called him Superman. When he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and the doctor’s told him this would likely take his life, he wrote in his diary “Family are all now aware of what is ahead for me, but I will surprise them all with my endurance.” For my dad, I don’t believe he would have ever considered MAID.
 
My Aunt

My Aunt had M.S. for most of her adult life. She was a warrior and plowed through the ups and downs of that disease. In 2020, she was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease. When she lost use of her arms and her neck muscles, she made the decision to proceed with MAID. She was fiercely independent and did not relish the thought of my uncle having to take care of her daily needs. They asked if I would be there when it took place. I was honoured to do so. I have to say it was the most peaceful way to pass. The doctor made sure right beforehand that she wanted to proceed. Her answer: “let’s get this show on the road.” After the fluid was put in the stent, she just closed her eyes and shortly after stopped breathing. It was like she just fell asleep. 

I am so glad my aunt had the choice to go when she wanted. I so wish my mom had that choice all those years ago. 
 
I have been VERY clear with my family that if I get a disease of any sort where I can no longer look after my own daily needs (bathroom, bathing etc), I want MAID. I truly hope legislation gets passed in other provinces to allow people to do the advance request for MAID, like in Quebec.

I want to end with saying thank you to DWDC for helping people across Canada have a choice. 

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In practice, an advance request would allow a competent person to make a written request for MAID that could be honoured later, after they lose the capacity to make medical decisions for themselves. An advance request could save a person from having to endure years — perhaps even decades — of unwanted suffering.

84% of Canadians support advance requests for MAID for a person that has a diagnosis of a grievous and irremediable medical condition.

If you want to see legislation passed that includes advance requests, please visit our advocacy page and consider writing a letter to your elected representative to make your voice heard.