Man chooses MAiD after he is unable to get adequate healthcare

A Canadian woman is speaking out about the state of the country's healthcare system, noting that her father opted to receive Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) because state-sanctioned euthanasia was easier to access than the medical care he needed. The man ultimately died of natural causes before he was able to undergo assisted death.

Key Takeaways:

• The family of Cleo Gratton said the conditions at his local hospital were so poor that he chose to apply for assisted suicide.

• He was approved for MAiD, but died of natural causes before going through with it.

• His family is now advocating for better conditions and treatment for those who are in need.

The Details:

The family of 84-year-old Cleo Gratton is speaking out about his experiences with the local healthcare system, in the hopes of initiating change in the way patients are cared for.

According to the CBC, Gratton, of Chelmsford, Ontario, was suffering from a number of health issues, including kidney failure and heart disease. He needed quality medical care, but the conditions at Health Sciences North in Sudsbury were so abysmal, he turned to MAiD in desperation.

Doctors in Canada pressured to push assisted suicide to save government money

"There were no lights, all the bulbs in that hallway had been completely removed," his daughter Lynn described of the emergency room. "The only light we had was almost like a desk lamp that had been bolted to the wall."

An article in The Sudbury Star noted, " According to Lynn, her father waited in the emergency department for 12 hours before being moved to the seventh floor where he was placed in a hallway with no lighting, table for a food tray, phone or bathroom."

Lynn described dirty, overcrowded conditions, and said a nurse had to resort to using a headlamp to examine her father's feet.

“Patients are passing by, nurses are going by, no privacy, no compassion, no dignity,” she said, noting it was "beyond ridiculous."

“There’s no dignity anymore, it’s just awful. The system is so broken,” she said in an interview. “My dad’s IV pull was being held up with tongue depressors and tape.” 

Lynn said the service at the hospital left her father “beyond floored," as he told his family he would rather die by euthanasia than have to go back. He applied and was approved for MAiD before dying of natural causes.

Before his death, Gratton asked his family to advocate for better conditions.

‘Push, push, push for change. Make people aware of what’s going on," he had told them. "Open the discussion, bring it to your MP, your MPP, keep going straight up.”

Why It Matters:

Across Canada, people are turning to MAiD in record numbers. Though assisted death was originally marketed as a compassionate way for the terminally ill to choose to die, countless stories show that it is instead being turned to as a common, cost-saving option for those who can't get adequate housing, need medical care, are impoverished, and more.

There have also been stories of the Canadian healthcare system trying to cut costs by refusing certain treatments — because it's cheaper to kill patients instead. These stories, coupled with the experiences of people like Gratton, point to a system that is deeply broken.

The Bottom Line:

Upholding the dignity of the human person means that the sick and the vulnerable are given the care they need and deserve. Instead of pushing for expansive euthanasia, countries should instead focus on providing better care that treats people with respect.