A Canadian woman is speaking out after she was approved for assisted suicide, but she doesn’t want to die — she just wants adequate healthcare.
Marcia Doherty, also known online as “Madeline” is living with severe Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), a chronic illness that causes a host of symptoms, including “influenza-like symptoms, cognitive impairment, multiple forms of pain, and heart, lung, blood pressure, and digestive dysfunctions, among other significantly debilitating symptoms.”
According to the Canary, though ME has severe side effects, it is “underrecognized” in British Columbia’s medical system, which means many of Doherty’s treatments aren’t covered under the national healthcare system. As a result, she has accumulated $45,000 in medical debt, and now relies on crowdfunding just to survive. Shockingly, though her healthcare needs aren’t being met, the Canadian government has approved her for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), the country’s legalized assisted suicide program.
Doherty has taken her story public, launching a petition and a GoFundMe to try and advocate for change, both for herself and for others who live with ME.
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“For years, I’ve fought to stay alive and advocate for my community,” Doherty said. “Yet over and over I’ve been told there’s no route to adequately help people like me – no human rights recourse, no legal pathway to address the systemic neglect of my illness. I’ve worked with the medical community, government ministries and legal experts, and been told that coverage for ME is a political decision. Well, political change only happens when there’s public awareness – which is why I’m sharing my story.”
There have been multiple previous instances of people being approved for MAiD rather than being given the adequate healthcare they need. These stories come as reports show that MAiD deaths in Canada are at an all-time high, and continuing to rise. There are also reports of coercion, and MAiD being suggested to ill people as a normal course of action. These stories underscore some of the many problems that can and do occur when suicide is legalized — when death is presented as an option, adequate care, and dignified treatment get pushed aside.
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