Closing arguments have begun in a lawsuit over Medically Assisted Dying (MAID) that could have a far- reaching impact.
B.C.’s Supreme Court is hearing the case focusing on 34-year-old Sam O’Neill, who had stage four cervical cancer and had chosen MAID to end her life.
O’Neill had to be transferred from St. Paul’s Hospital to St. John’s Hospice to receive MAID in April 2023 because St. Paul’s Hospital — a Catholic facility — does not provide MAID, subjecting her to a painful 25-minute transfer to another facility.
The court is being asked to decide if publicly-funded, faith-based hospitals should be allowed to opt out of MAID.
“Like most of us, Sam had no way of knowing that when taken by ambulance to St. Paul’s, where she would spend her final days, St.Paul’s would impose the Archbishop’s beliefs, which impeded her access to MAID,” Gayle O’Neill, Sam’s mother, said outside court on Monday.
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“It stripped Sam of her dignity and caused … unnecessary pain and suffering. The act of a non-medically necessary transfer breaks their legal duty to prevent harm. It’s just cruel.”
Daphne Gilbert with Dying with Dignity Canada said they hope Chief Justice Skolrood’s decision will bring an end to the transfer that Sam had to endure.
“This trial and the decision could have sweeping implications for end-of-life care not only here in British Columbia, but across the country,” she said.
During Monday’s closing arguments, a lawyer for the plaintiff told the court if there are competing rights that need to be balanced in the public health care system, the rights of patients must prevail.
Closing arguments are expected to continue all week.
There is no way that the information about places where MAiD cannot take place in Vancouver was not part of the conversation the MAiD assessors/provider had with Sam.The ambulance should have gone to VGH or Lions Gate Hospital if there was a chance MAiD would be the “care” Sam wanted. DWDC is “using” the family for their own purposes.
Much as the euthanasia lobby present it as a individual choice with complete safeguards, the Coroners report from Ontario show that it is not. People who have asked not to be euthanized have been because of the wishes of their family. Pro euthanasia medical workers do encourage it. Requests are not coming solely from the patients. And not all patients want to be euthanized. There are no kill facilities for dogs, what if I want the peace and security of a no kill facility when I am spending my last weeks on earth? All patients need to know they can find a sanctuary where euthanasia will not be pushed on them.
I have a brother in a old age home here in ON.,on the 1st day there he was asked by 4-5 different staff,stating that it would end his pain and all the stress,even telling him that he would find peace in the after life.As if any one knows what’s on the other side.They only want kill the older people to make way for more younger people coming from 3rd,world countries.Well F–k them,
Maybe the judges should rule that faith based hospitals must follow the public hospital rules, or shut down. We all need access to health care. Having separatism in health care is what Smith is trying to do. 2 tier systems of any sort are bad for Canadians.
MAID should be abolished. Doctors use it too often. I won’t be surprised if family members kill doctors for killing their family.
Gee, if only there were nearby hospitals that could carry out the practice so St. Paul’s can maintain their moral conviction while this person wants to end their life. Please.
Stop this killing machine as MAID continues to devalue human life.
Wow, so many brainwashed religious people. Hopefully some of these people get a very painful illness and have to suffer through it until it eventually ends for them. “God’s will”
Why go to a Catholic hospital in the first place.I now know if I don’t want to be murdered then that’s where I should go. I watched as the hospital my brother was in tried 3, times a day for a week try to goad him into something he said No to. Until I moved him to a hospital that did not murder people…. Thank God for that hospital.
No one has the right to play God.
You have to understand that the healthcare team have to live with the murder they believe they committed for the rest of their lives. There spiritually their Faith says it’s murder and you can be doomed to eternal damnation if we do this. You can not ask someone to do this. Why not have a dr or mobile team for maid.
If you don’t like the theology, don’t follow the religion. And don’t fund it either.
ONLY GOD CAN GIVE YOU LIFE, and ONLY GOD CAN TAKE YOUR LIFE. ANY OTHER WAY is a SIN ! BIG FACTS
This exact tragedy happened with my brother and it makes me sick to my stomach to know someone else suffered at the hands of this hospital. Sadly my brother spent days in an induced come until he eventually starved as the pain was unbearable for him to transfer after spending 3 days with 3 different doctors and signing all the paperwork for maid. It wasn’t until he was in too much pain to be transferred was he told that the hospital didn’t allow it. Justice for the families who have to watch their loved ones suffer must be provided. My brothers dying wish was to not suffer. St. John’s hospital was unwilling to comply after putting him through 3 days of paperwork. Why? Money? Disgusting.
Slow down GLOBAL..stop posting propaganda too fast!
Sorry but why was she at the hospital , she should have gone to a different hospital from the moment she went to a hospital, it is not the hospitals fault, she and her doctor should have known that maid was not done there. You can’t force faith based hospitals to go against their faith. If they win then will that mean that hospital will shut down? People who want to be killed should go to places that kill people or stay home and have it done in their homes.