Thank you very much. It's a pleasure to be here.
I'm a person with a chronic illness and disabilities. I've had a condition that causes deep abdominal spasms, along with other terrible symptoms, for a very long time. I often experience intense, long-lasting episodes that remind me of being poisoned. I sometimes say I have seasons of pain, as an episode can last for a few months at a time. I have lived in British Columbia all my life and feel very much shaped by open-minded west coast values. Therefore, I support access to choice.
As the law changed in Canada to more closely reflect the Carter decision, I decided to apply for an assisted-dying assessment. The new law, Bill C-7, made it legal for people like me, for whom death is not reasonably foreseeable, to have the possibility of MAID. Putting suffering at the core of the law shows great compassion and humanity. The ability of each of us to say, “Enough is enough”, when suffering becomes too much, is an essential liberty.
The dysfunction of my body has often felt like a prison. In applying for and being approved for MAID, I have taken responsibility for myself. I feel less worry, and a sense of overall relief permeates my days. I don't feel the need to use this choice right now, but I am very happy it is there. The steady worsening of my condition has reduced my capacity to function in my daily living activities and lowered the quality of my life.
No amount of mitigating these painful abdominal episodes has alleviated my predicament. I feel that I now have more of the tools needed to face the long-lasting difficulties ahead of me. I am enormously proud of my fellow citizens. Thank you for allowing this option to exist in Canada for people, like me, who suffer continuously in life.
I have had no say in deciding whether my body would trap me in intolerable suffering. I have coped with the cards I was dealt. Knowing I can access a safe and serene exit from my suffering is like reflecting upon some beautiful poetry. Suddenly, there's a rhyme and reason to my everyday. I feel a new sense of acceptance in dealing with my daily challenges—an added emotional benefit this medical care has provided me.
We all want to feel a sense of security in this world. MAID, as an option, has provided that sense of security to me. I feel the reduced stress and increased peace of mind have allowed me to better cope with my limitations. As a result, I tend to have an anxious attachment to this choice and I'm skeptical about calls to impose increased barriers. People with disabilities must not be treated as a monolith, but rather as individuals. The fear some individuals may have of MAID should have no negative impact on access to choice. I am my own person and do not want to be grouped together with others.
That said, when discussing protections for persons with disabilities, I have a few suggestions for policy improvements.
First, use some form of means testing that includes assessing whether the person has housing and supports from family or service agencies, etc., before approval is granted.
Second, allow voluntary self-exclusion for those who want to opt out of MAID. The individual could choose a fixed amount of time to have this exclusion in place and could renew it as needed or desired. I came about this idea because I know that, at casinos and similar establishments, people can have a self-exclusion and just don't have any access to that particular activity.
Third, quickly implement the Canada disability benefit to reduce poverty.
Overall, I hope to see continued balance between patient access and reasonable safeguards. That has to be maintained.
Thank you.