Wow! Everything’s happening now. Two great news stories: Kelly Grant in the Globe and Mail, Alisa Siegel(Michael Enright, CBC Sunday Morning), and Catherine Ford of the Calgary Herald – just this month.
If you didn’t yet catch them ..
B.C. man is one of the first Canadians with dementia to die with medical assistance
Ford: As the Grim Reaper beckons, give us the ability to choose how we die
All with the same message – right across Canada – MAID should be available to people with dementia if and when they so choose.
And, I’m sure you noted that five weeks ago the Quebec Supreme Court struck down one of the major restrictive clauses of the currently poorly written MAID and ordered the Federal Government to follow suit within one year. When questioned on the campaign trail Trudeau first said he was going to appeal and then, within a few days, he changed his mind. The Feds will not appeal and will – get this – examine MAID to remove more restrictions. And then he gets re-elected.
Our way is clear. Let’s swamp the Feds and their provincial counterparts with support for change and some direction as to our needs for a better MAID.
As things have occurred, I previously had asked my friend Jule Briese from BC for permission to respond to Trudo Lemmens – bioethicist from the UofT who apparently is not sure of supporting MAID and very concerned about opening the door for people with dementia. With everything else happening, my short and simple response became something else (see below*). I hope it may provide you with some ideas and some motivation to join me in going after the governments. You don’t have to agree with my suggestions, but I know you want change. So tell them what you want and why. We’ll never have a better opportunity.
A very special thanks to all those brave doctors across Canada who are leading the way … and thanks to Alisa Siegel, Kelly Grant, Catherine Ford and Shannon Proudfoot of Macleans who tell us of the realities with soul-stirring stories. And not last, but first ‘a tip of the hat’ to Sandra Martin who really got the ball rolling. Thank you all!!!
* See “A Brief to Professor Lemmens” under the heading “Possible Changes to MAID.”