Quadriplegic Man in Quebec Given Assisted Death Over Bed Sores

Canada has one of the most liberal assisted death laws in the world and is working on a framework that would see it expanded to those whose only condition is a mental illness. Shutterstock

A Quebec man suffering from bed sores has used Canada’s assisted dying laws to end his life.

Normand Meunier, 66, developed the sores after lying for four days on a stretcher in the hallway of the hospital at Saint-Jérôme, according to CBC News. The injuries happened because Mr. Meunier was not provided with a special mattress to prevent the sores from developing, according to the article.

A spinal injury left the former truck driver paralyzed in his arms and legs since 2022.  He was visiting the emergency room over a respiratory illness at the time of the incident.

The general manager of Regroupement des activistes pour l'inclusion au Québec (RAPLIQ), which works with disability groups, told The Epoch Times Mr. Meunier’s death could have been avoided.

“It’s really a crying shame because this death should have and could have been avoided if we had treated him right the first time,” Steven Laperriere said during an interview. “There is no valid explanation to the fact that within a couple of hours, we could not find a proper mattress that’s suited for him.”

Mr. Laperriere said the situation needed to be investigated.

“I just would like to make a call to everyone who’s responsible to this to look into why this happened. And to make sure that we use this case, to at least make sure that situations like this, do not ever, ever, ever happen again,” he said.

“It’s time for everyone to wake up and to do the proper adjustments so we avoid issues like that.”

Canada has one of the most liberal assisted death laws in the world and is working on a framework that would see it expanded to those whose only condition is a mental illness.

MAID Cases

In November 2023, a 52-year-old man in B.C. opted for medical assistance in dying (MAID) rather than wait for chemotherapy to treat his cancer.

Dan Quayle was diagnosed with esophageal cancer but was not able to receive treatment before his health started to fail, his partner told CTV News at the time.

In December 2022, CBC News reported that a woman said the pain of fibromyalgia led her to consider applying for MAID.

The chronic condition can cause pain and tenderness throughout the body, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Muscoskeletor and Skin Diseases. Trouble sleeping, fatigue, and a heightened sensitivity to pain are also common symptoms. There is no cure for the illness, but doctors can treat the symptoms in a variety of ways, including exercise, medications, and psychological therapy.

The woman told the media that she was also contemplating MAID because she was dependent on disability benefits and was struggling financially.

MAID Expansion

MAID was first introduced in 2016 but was limited to patients whose death was foreseeable. In 2021, the legislation was broadened to allow anyone over the age of 18 to access it, although it excluded patients who only had mental illnesses.

That exclusion was set to expire in March 2023, but in February 2023 the government said it would delay until March 2024 the expansion of MAID to include those who solely suffer from mental illness.

Ottawa recently announced it would further pause the expansion of MAID for mental illness until 2027. Justice Minister Arif Virani said that the provinces’ health care systems were not ready.

Mr. Laperriere said MAID is turning into something that it was not intended to be.

“Given what we’re seeing in the case of Mr. Meunier, and there are many more others, that are turning to MAID because they cannot get the proper home care services they need, they do not want to go into long-term care facilities or life is just too tough,” he said. “MAID is turning out to be everything but what it’s supposed to be and we’re letting it happen,” he said.