A 51-year-old Ontario woman with severe sensitivities to chemicals chose medically-assisted death after her desperate search for affordable housing free of cigarette smoke and chemical cleaners failed, advocates say.
The woman’s assisted death appears to be a first in the world for someone diagnosed with multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS), a chronic condition also referred to as an environmental illness or environmental allergies, say patient support groups and doctors familiar with her case.
… Environmental allergies are a condition clouded by controversy and disbelief, even in the medical community. MCS can occur either through a single exposure to high levels of chemicals or constant low-level proximity to them. Some people become hypersensitive to common chemicals used in perfumes, cleaners, pesticides and smokes.
