New details emerge as coroner investigates injured man’s ‘assisted death’

A coroner is investigating the circumstances that led a Quebec man to choose Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) last year because hospital negligence led to injuries so egregious, he felt compelled to die.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• A coroner is investigating the death of a quadriplegic man who was neglected for hours, allegedly due to the hospital’s short-staffing, and developed a bed sore down to the bone and muscle.

• The man was not fully healed even after months and chose “medical assistance in dying” out of desperation to no longer be a “burden.”

• His wife said he still had plans and goals, but the incurable injury left him with “no more perspective on life.”

• Canada has many similar stories of neglect and a lack of proper care for patients; patients are instead encouraged to die.

THE DETAILS:

As Live Action News previously reported, quadriplegic Normand Meunier was left on a stretcher in the emergency room at St-Jérôme Hospital for four days, during which time he developed a bed sore so severe that bone and muscle were visible through the wound.

Months after the incident, as Meunier struggled to heal from his wounds, he chose MAiD because he “didn’t want to be a burden.”

The incident has prompted a coroner’s inquest into how the hospital treated Meunier. Coroner Dave Kimpton is leading the investigation, which includes reports and testimony from a number of experts as well as medical personnel.

Meunier’s wife, Sylvia Brosseau, has said that he never intended for his disability to lead him to a MAiD death.

“Despite his quadriplegia, he still had plans he wished to realize, he had lofty goals,” Brosseau said. “But because of the incurable bedsore that appeared at the hospital, he had no more perspective on life.”

Brosseau said she tried to advocate for Meunier during his time in the hospital, insisting he be given a proper mattress and other treatment. Instead, she was ignored. “They cared very little about me,” she said.

During testimony, Geneviève Paradis, a nurse who treated Meunier during his hospital stay, admitted that she never checked him for bedsores because the hospital was short-staffed.

Patrick Martin-Ménard, a lawyer representing Meunier’s family, said the hospital failed to have a system in place to help patients like Meunier.

“The crumbling health-care system allowed the pressure wounds to reach a point at which there was no possible recovery. And that in itself, I find it to be extremely shocking,” he said. “It’s extremely frustrating to see that the system always waits until someone dies or has severe consequences before acting on the problem.”

THE BOTTOM LINE:

Opponents of assisted suicide and euthanasia have repeatedly warned that legalizing death will result in decreased palliative care and an overall disregard for the dignity of the person. Numerous stories have come out of Canada in which people were offered or suggested a MAiD death, when all they needed was adequate health care.

Sadly, Meunier’s inability to receive the health care he needed caused him to believe he was being a burden on others, when he simply needed the dignified care he deserved in the first place.