Dear Editor:
RE: No quality of life, Jan. 26
First of all, my sympathies to Linda Shaw at the passing of her sister after suffering pancreatic cancer. I do know what it is to witness a dearly beloved suffer and die from this disease. Both my dear parents died of cancer, my mother also of pancreatic cancer.
She declined the chemo treatments; sometimes the attempted cure is worse than the disease. She received palliate sedation to relieve suffering and I was at her bedside at the moment of her passing into glory.
I also happen to be a retired pastor who has stood by many people in the final days and even moments of their lives. So I have witnessed suffering.
The point I made in my Jan. 5 letter to the editor was that medical assistance in dying (MAID) is not a private matter which has no effect on how our Canadian society views life. Linda’s support for MAID when there is no quality of life any longer supports my opinion.
What is the definition of “quality of life?” And who measures when there is no longer “quality of life?” I believe that those questions are where MAID heads down the “slippery slope.”
If someone is depressed and suicidal at a certain time, is there no longer any “quality of life” and should they be okay to request MAID? This is apparently where MAID is headed in our country, as it has already, for instance in The Netherlands.
As pastor I have been able to stand by and help a number of people who were determined to end their lives due to their mental state and who are now happy and thankful to be alive.
With the emphasis on “quality of life” to justify MAID, I believe the matter of the view of the “value of life” in our society is negatively affected.
I believe that MAID only encourages the devaluation of the lives of the helpless, the disabled, the vulnerable and the elderly.
By the way, I am also the parent of an autistic, non-verbal daughter who requires 24/7 care. What is her quality of life? What is the value of her life?
In place of MAID and its expansion I would suggest that we as Canadians need to deeply value life and promote suicide prevention and life-affirming care for all.
Jack Moesker,
Fergus