In Memory of
Samantha O’Neill

In 2023, Samantha O’Neill sought medical assistance in dying (MAID) after being diagnosed with Stage 4 cervical cancer. She was 34 years old.

She was being treated at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, but was denied MAID there because the hospital is operated by Providence Health Care— a Catholic organization.

As a result of Providence’s restrictive MAID policies, Sam went through a painful, undignified forced transfer to St. John Hospice, a facility operated under the same religious umbrella. She suffered needlessly in her final days because of the religious beliefs of a publicly funded health care organization.

No one should have to go through what Sam experienced. That’s why Dying With Dignity Canada (DWDC) has joined forces with Arvay Finlay, Gaye O’Neill and Dr. Jyothi Jayaraman in a court challenge to ensure that the rights of vulnerable patients to access MAID are protected within all publicly-funded health care facilities in British Columbia. The first four weeks of the trial recently ended; closing arguments will resume in April 2026. 

If you or a loved one have experienced an Institutional Religious Obstruction to health care such as a forced transfer to receive MAID, you can write a letter and tell your local representative that all health care facilities that receive taxpayer funding must permit MAID onsite, and you can share your story with us at DWDC.