A recent example of the use of medical assistance in dying (MAID) is setting off alarm bells. The CBC reported that Normand Meunier, a quadriplegic man from Quebec, was hospitalized in January for a respiratory virus. Mr. Meunier was left on a stretcher in the ER for four days despite communicating his need for a special mattress. He developed a severe bedsore with exposed bone and muscle, tragically leading him to seek out medical assistance in dying. Mr. Meunier told the CBC, “I don’t want to be a burden.” On March 29, he underwent assisted dying at home. The Canadian health care system’s failure to care for Mr. Meunier contributed to his death.
