A Canadian woman is voicing opposition to the country's Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program, revealing that her elderly father chose a euthanasia death because he was initially unable to secure appropriate hospice care.

Her story is just one of many illustrating the true, devastating impact of legalized euthanasia.

Key Takeaways:

• Colleen De Vos said her father qualified for MAiD in 2023, despite the fact that he was turned down for hospice care.

• A nurse practitioner who was caring for him reportedly steered him toward the MAiD death.

• The story is one of many that reveals the devastating impact of legalized euthanasia.

The Details:

Colleen De Vos told EWTN News Nightly that her 85-year-old father died in 2023 after being diagnosed with terminal chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Though he had initially agreed to hospice or in-home palliative care, he was denied the care he needed.

“He was turned down on two occasions, deeming that his diagnosis wasn't enough to warrant hospice care,” De Vos said. “That was a surprise to us because we could see he was deteriorating very quickly.”

Nevertheless, he was able to qualify for MAiD.

“The irony of the availability of MAiD that could be arranged very quickly... sidelined us very much,” she said.

Catholic Woman Shares the Harsh Reality of Her Father's Assisted Death | EWTN News Nightly

De Vos's father, identified in another article as Jim Phillips, was reportedly steered toward MAiD by a nurse practitioner who was caring for him in his home.

Phillips is said to have chosen euthanasia during private conversations with the nurse practitioner, without De Vos or other family members present, though De Vos described his condition at the time as "fragile."

“My father wasn't very forthcoming with his intentions, unfortunately,” De Vos said. “We did see some very fragile moments during the course of his illness.”

In an interview with Christianity Today, De Vos said the euthanasia experience was "like booking a hair appointment," as a white delivery van arrived at the house bearing a cardboard box with a "MAiD" sticker on the outside. Inside were the sterile tubes and poison that would be used to end her father's life.

“Just like if you ordered something from Amazon,” she described.

On the day of his death, Phillips was told that he had qualified for a hospice bed and that one had opened up for him at the last minute.

De Vos said that unfortunately, by that time, her father had "lost all hope," instead choosing to proceed with the MAiD option — a decision she called "very heartbreaking."

De Vos, a Catholic, took refuge in a church as a medical professional came to the home and clinically ended her father's life.

Why It Matters:

De Vos's heartbreaking experience reveals just some of the many problems with legalized euthanasia. Her father, an elderly man experiencing an illness, chose MAiD seemingly because a medical professional steered him toward assisted death as an option.

Many people have similarly experienced coercion or been suggested MAiD, even when they weren't seeking it.

Likewise, the lack of hospice availability demonstrates that elderly and vulnerable populations are being pushed toward MAiD because there are no other options available to them. When a sick, elderly man can get approved for death, but not for a hospice bed, he is receiving the message that death is better than care.

Phillips' decision to choose MAiD because he had lost hope is not an uncommon one. Multiple studies, including those published in prestigious medical journals, have revealed that people commonly seek assisted suicide because they are depressed, hopeless, have no support, and are afraid of being a burden.

The Bottom Line:

As assisted death advocates continue to push for euthanasia expansion in the United States, lawmakers would do well to look to Canada as a warning of the devastating impacts of legalized death.