What we have heard is that people choose MAID because they don't want to be a burden to their family. They don't want to suffer and die alone. They don't want to die in a hospital. They're worried about getting care at home, or they want control over how they die.
We have had many individuals here. We have an individual right now who has lived longer than the two months she was given, and she wanted medical assistance in dying because she didn't want to be a burden to her family. With the support of our team, she's still thriving and hopes to come to the hospice to die when her time comes. We had another client, in her late fifties, who recently had MAID in her lovely garden after a family celebration because she did not want her children to see her die.
In closing, the right to medical assistance in dying is very important to allow for choice. Even more important is access to palliative care as a human right for everyone so that everyone can experience end of life free of pain and can have as much time as possible to spend with their loved ones. Access to palliative care also ensures that those who do choose MAID are doing so because it is what they want, not because it is their only option to help with their pain and suffering.
Thank you for your time today. We apologize for our technical difficulties and for your not seeing us in person.