Medical Assistance in Dying committee  I would implore you to try to be open to that message. We were sitting in the first panel this morning listening in, just to emphasize with what was said there, and the impact of the law is far greater than you might think it is.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  When Markus had his first negative scan, it was six months into his treatment, and at that meeting with his oncology team, the Canuck Place Children's Hospice nurses and doctors were already part of that meeting. His palliative care was already engaged at that point. They knew Markus.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  Again, we were grateful to be invited here by you to share our experience with the suffering and death of a child. When Markus was 17 and diagnosed on February 26, we were driving back to our home from the Vancouver, B.C., children's hospital. He said to us, “Mom and dad, this cancer sounds really bad.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  The word “obliged”, Senator, comes directly out of the CAMAP document, where they recommend that physicians have an obligation to bring up medical assistance in dying with people who—

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  As you would have heard in our testimony, Markus halted his treatment at the BC Children's Hospital. His palliative and hospice care was provided through Canuck Place Children's Hospice. It was not part of the conversation at those institutions.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  I think we have to be very careful here. You would recognize, as we do, that the news this week is filled with people who have been led to despair because medical assistance in dying was offered to them. When you do the same to minors, children who have not the same capacity as adults and their families, who are simply trying to live each day well, that will lead to despair.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  It wasn't Markus's choice to die, just to clarify. Markus wanted to live. He didn't want to die. He was given a terminal illness, outside of our control, that we were responsible for deciding how to respond to, how to live with. We've shared with you this morning how we did that.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  I respect that people may have a different viewpoint on this and may approach it with a different world view, but our appeal to you is that if you open up euthanasia for minors, then even families like ours that would not support that decision will feel obliged to consider it. That's what's problematic here.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  It was July.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  You mentioned palliative care and how important that is. When the palliative care is focused on—

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  If we would have suggested to our son to consider medical assistance in dying, or if his health care providers had said to him, “Would you like to consider medical assistance in dying?”, the message he would have heard is “We're giving up on you.” That would have led to despair, and that would further entrench the desire to have medical assistance in dying.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  Two things come to mind as you ask your question. One is that our experience is that all throughout Markus's treatment, he was very involved, right from the first bad scan that showed that before the cancer had even been gone, it was back and into his lungs. Marcus was consulted.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  As I said earlier, I think perspective is everything. Two weeks before Markus passed away, someone gifted us with funds to use an Airbnb on Vancouver Island. We almost didn't make it because, on the way, we had to stop at BC Children's Hospital to empty Markus' lungs of two litres of liquid.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  Again, just to reiterate, that Friday night, Markus wanted to die. He was ready to die. He was ready to go and meet Jesus—he was a Christian—and he didn't die, and then that Saturday he had beautiful experiences with his best friends, with his family and with his grandparents. Markus wanted to die.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  When Markus was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, he was 17 years old, and when we buried him in the ground, he was 18 years old.