Medical Assistance in Dying & Children

Valérie Daigle's 11-year-old son Grégory died in August in a palliative care wing at the Fleurimont Hospital. She says she should have been able to pursue MAID for her son. (Submitted by Valérie Daigle) 

Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcome me.

If any of you cause one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. 

Matthew 18:3-6 NRSVue

This summer a Quebec boy who lived with a number of neurological disabilities including cerebral palsy, was non-verbal and could neither walk nor eat on his own died in palliative care. Although efforts were made to mitigate his pain he suffered in his last days and his mother is convinced this was unfair She loved her child and she also hated to see his distress. She agrees with the arguments about the perils of Medical Assistance in Dying for children but feels that there are exceptions where MAID should be a compassionate option.

"Seven weeks of suffering for a child: I find this abominable. If he had suffered like that in my home, I would be speaking to you from behind bars. My little guy, [all] I could do was stroke him, reassure him the best I could but he was in pain...I don't want a child to die because he's disabled. However, there comes a time when the limit is reached and these children no longer have any quality of life and suffer a great deal."

Although Gregory died what might be considered a natural death those who are fundamentally opposed to MAID would probably point to this situation as another example of the "slippery slope" of acceptance of state sanctioned murder. I hear about Gregory and once again realize that our medical proficiency in prolonging human existence extends well beyond our ability to ensure quality of life in many circumstances.

Think back thirty years when Saskatchewan farmer Robert Latimer took the life of his severely disabled daughter, Tracey. The family couldn't access the services to address Tracey's medical needs and Latimer felt that her suffering was a form of torture. He was convicted of second degree murder and when efforts were made to lessen his sentence this was opposed by the Roman Catholic church and Evangelical groups. 

Do I have clear answers? Nope. As a Christian I will always support palliative care and hospice. I'm convinced that communities of faith have an important role as voices for the vulnerable. This doesn't mean that MAID shouild be opposed categorically, as is the case with some denominations, nor that we should avoid the difficult conversations about when it is available. It's clear that Jesus loved children and warned against causing them harm. But are there circumstances when prolonging life a form of harm? 

I pray for Gregory's family and respect that his mother had the courage to speak out. 

We can pray that with each person approaching the end of life there are efforts to provide a dignified, compassionate death and that they are enveloped in love.

An undated photo of Robert Latimer and his daughter Tracy at home. (Maclean's/The Canadian Press)