Think Canada’s healthcare system is compassionate? One Catholic woman’s story will make you think twice as her father’s care center pushed euthanasia as a “solution.”
At a glance:
- Linda Maddaford, head of the Catholic Women’s League in Saskatchewan, faced pressure from her father’s care home to consider euthanasia just one day after he was admitted.
- Maddaford expressed frustration at how the center promoted Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), despite it conflicting with her family’s faith.
- She, along with others, is pushing back against the Liberal government’s expanded MAiD laws, especially for non-terminally ill patients.
A Canadian Catholic woman, Linda Maddaford, has shared her “appalling” experience with her father’s care home, where staff quickly pushed Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) as an option shortly after he moved in. Maddaford, who now leads the Catholic Women’s League in Saskatchewan, expressed her dismay over how the care home promoted euthanasia, describing the pressure she felt to consider the procedure for her father.
The incident occurred only a day after Maddaford moved her father into the care center in Saskatoon. According to a report by the Archdiocese of Regina, the care home sent out a blanket email inviting families to a presentation about euthanasia. Maddaford was frustrated that the invitation came so soon after her father was entrusted to their care and noted that a simple brochure for those interested would have sufficed.
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Maddaford described the push for euthanasia as coming from “the top down,” explaining how families may feel pressured to consider it, especially when doctors or staff repeatedly suggest it. She emphasized the sacred responsibility her family feels in caring for their loved ones, stating that their faith guides them to face the difficulties of life rather than seek ways to end it prematurely.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has echoed Maddaford’s concerns, stressing that suffering should be met with compassion, not euthanasia. In their view, Jesus exemplified caring for others by suffering alongside them, not by choosing death.
The issue of euthanasia in Canada continues to spark fierce debate, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government expanding MAiD to include individuals with chronic illnesses or disabilities, even if they are not terminally ill. The policy has faced pushback from a variety of advocacy groups, including disability rights organizations, which are now filing legal challenges against the government.
Maddaford’s story underscores the growing concern over euthanasia being normalized in Canada, as thousands have already died under the MAiD program since its introduction in 2016. Maddaford will speak about her family’s experience with MAiD at an upcoming Catholic Health Association convention in Saskatoon.