Yesterday we spent several hours with our two youngest grandchildren while their parents took the family's beloved dog of 11 years to be euthanized. He wasn't at the upper range of longevity for the breed but there is a history of back and joint issues which affect a fair percentage, including this guy. He was a very active critter, reduced to having to be lifted to his feet simply to get outside to relieve himself. After weeks of declining health they made the agonizing decision to end his life and he was hoisted into their vehicle for the last ride. Of course, he was oblivious to the purpose of this trip and while he may have been aware of his humans' emotional turmoil he left this life peacefully.
As we drove home I mused about this sombre experience of assisted dying. I continue to pay attention to what is unfolding regarding to what we term Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada and the public conversations, sometimes acrimonious, came to mind.
When I offered a well-attended three-part study series on the subject at Trenton United I was somewhat surprised at how many of the participants, nearly all seniors, were in favour of MAID as an option -- we also spent an entire session on palliative care and hospice.
One person spent years as a trained hospice volunteer and she is also the wife of a veterinarian and worked at the clinic. She offered that she has wondered more and more about what she saw at the vet's office as what most of us consider a merciful end for companion animals and what happens for suffering humans. We talked about the differences, noting that humans are aware of their own mortality and that there is choice and agency.
A legitimate concern regarding assisted dying is that the vulnerable may be forced into choosing this option either by circumstance or coercion. Any time there is a story about a person feeling desperate enough to consider MAID because of poverty or lack of medical support there is a hue and cry, and this is important. I'm convinced that a compassionate society must be vigilant about these concerns and that faith communities have a role to play.
As information emerges about who is choosing MAID in this country we are discovering that it is overwhelmingly those from middle to upper middle class backgrounds. The two people I know who have chosen assisted dying did so after lengthy and courageous battles with debilitating illness which could not be remedied. They were both individuals of faith who decided they no longer wanted to pursue fruitless treatment. They simply had enough of the struggle.
The conversations about the parameters for Medical Assistance in Dying need to be vigorous and changes in legislation must be given every ethical consideration. The current debate about extending MAID to those with mental illness is essential.
This goes far beyond a ruling by a Supreme Court or a vote in the House of Commons. We also need to find the informed balance between mercy and justice. And it's important to ask ourselves what this means for us as people who believe that life is a gift from God.
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