By Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
I have very concerning news.
The autistic Calgary woman, known as MV, who was approved for euthanasia but whose father has challenged the euthanasia approval based on the fact that she is otherwise healthy, has been refusing food and fluids since May 28.
MV’s lawyers are arguing that the injunction preventing her euthanasia death should be set-aside based on the fact that death by dehydration can be horrific whereas death by euthanasia is usually quick.
The only good outcome in this case is if MV changes her mind and once again accepts food and fluids.
Let’s be clear. We are opposing setting aside the injunction preventing the euthanasia death. We argue that if the injunction is set aside, the precedent would be set that people who is denied death by euthanasia could stop eating and drinking in order to be approved to be killed.
Further to that, those who have advised her to stop eating and drinking are using MV for their own political and social purposes. MV is a victim of the death-lobby.
On May 30, the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) announced that we were granted intervenor standing in the court case. We submitted our application to intervene, with legal arguments, on May 17, and we were approved as an intervenor on May 30.
This case is very important to me since I have an autistic son. I am convinced that MV was only approved for euthanasia because she is autistic. This is clearly a form of disability discrimination.
The daughter was originally scheduled to die by euthanasia (MAiD) on February 1, but her father obtained a temporary injunction, on January 30, 2024.
CBC News reported on March 12, 2024, about this court case. The father argued that his daughter did not have a medical condition that qualifies under the law for death by lethal poison (MAiD) and yet the daughter had already been approved to be killed.
CBC News reporter, Meghan Grant reported on March 25, 2024 that Justice Feasby ruled that MV can die by euthanasia despite her father’s concerns. Feasby withdrew the temporary injunction that prevented the woman from dying by euthanasia but Feasby maintained a 30 day stay of the injunction. This gave the father time to appeal the decision.
Justice Feasby also ordered an assessment of the role of Alberta Health Services with relation to the approval of euthanasia for MV.
On April 2, 2024, Kevin Martin reported for the Calgary Herald that the father did appeal the decision to the Alberta Court of Appeal.
On April 8, Justice Anne Kirker ordered a stay on the injunction to prevent the death of the MV until after the appeal is decided. The date of the appeal is not known but will likely be heard in October.
The court granted EPC a 20 page written argument and a 20 minute oral argument. The EPC intervention focuses on several issues but it primarily deals with the process that led to the approval of the 27-year-old autistic woman, who is otherwise healthy.
Editor’s note. This appeared today on Mr. Schadenberg’s blog and is reposted with permission.