An 84-year-old woman was offered euthanasia as a first option in a Canadian A&E.
Miriam Lancaster has spoken out about her horror at being offered Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) for a fractured sacrum, a bone at the base of the spine, in her first conversation with a doctor. Six weeks later, following treatment, she was able to walk her daughter down the aisle at her wedding.
One in 20 deaths in Canada now occur through its MAID programme.
Miriam shared her experience of being rushed to Vancouver General Hospital after waking up in excruciating pain early last year. She recalled: “Off I went to the Vancouver General Hospital, and I was approached by a young lady doctor. The very first words out of her mouth [were]: ‘We would like to offer you MAID.’
“I was taken aback—that was the last thing on my mind! I just wanted to find out why I was in pain! I did not want to die!”
Four weeks later, she was out of hospital, and in the year since, she has travelled to Cuba, Mexico, and Guatemala.