Police in Abbotsford, B.C., are investigating the medically assisted death of a woman whose daughters are raising questions as to why the procedure was approved when their mother’s mental health wasn’t in an adequate state to make that kind of decision.
Duncan was in a car accident on Feb. 25, 2020, and was diagnosed with concussion. She soon became depressed, was in constant pain, and experienced weight loss, and tests she underwent were unable to identify the cause. Her problems were exacerbated when COVID-19 restrictions were imposed in March 2020, leading to the decline of her mental health when she had to stay at home, curtailing her treatments “for months and months,” according to her daughters.
Duncan’s family physician, Dr. Parin Patel, had prescribed her medication to deal with her mental health, but she discontinued it after a while, claiming it didn’t work. Duncan asked Patel to approve her for MAID, but he declined, stressing that her “mental health really needs to be treated,” CTV reported.
“We spent the next week fighting for my mom’s life by any legal means, including having her sectioned under the Mental Health Act,” the petition states.
“Unfortunately, my mother’s depression was not enough to hold her in the Psychiatric Unit beyond 48 hours. On Oct. 29 at 8:30 p.m., we were notified that she was dead, less than 4 hours after being released from the psychiatric unit.”
Despite Patel and Dr. Abid Khattak, a psychiatrist who had also seen Duncan, saying in their medical notes that she was suffering from depression and did not qualify for MAID, several other doctors who were consulted said Duncan was not depressed, and was able to make such a decision.
In response to the news surrounding the circumstances of Duncan’s death, Conservative Sen. Denise Batters took to Twitter on April 26 condemning Bill C-7.
“This amendment is a runaway train. The consequences of passing it will be dire. This will undermine suicide prevention efforts and treatment for mental illness. It places Canadians with mental illness at risk for premature death when they might otherwise have recovered successfully. Experts have repeatedly told us—mental illness is not irremediable, it is difficult to predict, and there is no consensus in the medical community on this issue,” she said.
The 51-year-old woman appeared to be the first in the world to be diagnosed with multiple chemical sensitivities, a condition also referred to as environmental allergies. In her letters to officials at all levels of government, she said due to the increase in indoor cigarette and pot smoking by other residents in her apartment building, the fumes reached her apartment via ventilation system. Chemical cleaners used in the hallway also worsened her symptoms.
She said although the apartment was renovated to allow her bedroom to have the vents sealed, her landlord refused her request to supplement the room with heating and air-conditioning. She continued to write to other agencies asking for better housing but wasn’t successful. She eventually gave up hope and chose MAID to end her life.
The Duncan sisters said they initiated the petition to raise awareness about the “gaps” in Canada’s assisted suicide legislation.
“Our hope is that we can enlighten others about the shocking legislation that leaves Canada’s Euthanasia deaths among the highest in the world. These already lax laws are relaxing even further in 2023 . We should all be very concerned.”
