Realwomen of BC - Briefs

Brief to the Senate Committee on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide

September, 1994 Vancouver, B.C.

REAL Women of B.C.''s acronym stands for Realistic, Equal, Active for Life. We are the provincial chapter of the national non-partisan, grassroots, women''s political lobbying organization by the same name. Real Women of B.C. represents thousands of member-families across the province, and we speak for the mainstream majority of Canadian women.

We are a pro-family organization, and as such, our presentation will focus on the effect which life, or the premature, deliberate extinguishment of life, has on the family.

Cecilia Mary Clarke is a mother. Her son David was born in 1967, and died in 1968. Her daughter Kathleen was born in February, 1969 and died in November 1969. Her son Joseph was born in 1973 and died in 1974. All these babies developed Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (H.U.S.). Their Death certificates read "heart failure".

Mrs. Clarke writes: "During their illnesses, many fine doctors, nurses, and staff at the Montreal Childrens Hospital fought long and hard to save them. Death was ever present in the ICU during those long weeks and months I spent with my children as they died. My husband and I were sustained by the knowledge that everything that could have been done for them here on earth had been done. The staff was wonderful. Death under such circumstances is dignified and clean.

How different are my feelings about the experience of the parents who had children who died in Toronto Sick Childrens Hospital, murdered by someone who decided to euthanize those babies."

Mrs. Clarke''s husband committed suicide in 1988. His death devastated Mrs. Clarke and their adopted daughter, who now has two sons. The truth of their grandfather''s death will not be told to these two little boys for many years to come, if ever. Mrs. Clarke believes, as I do, that suicide has a domino effect. We are both very concerned for the youth of our country for whom heroes have been made out of people who commit suicide.¹

But our concern for the family does not begin or end with the child. It also includes those couples who care for elderly parents or other disabled family members. It is often preferable for older or chronically sick people to be cared for in the home. Certainly, this eases the financial burdens on society for providing expensive outside care. If dependent family members are to be provided for in the home by someone, that person''s contribution to society should be recognized. This can be done by providing the caretakers with either tax credits or a tax deduction. Frequently, the family suffers financial loss when caring for a dependent person, as the caretaker is often required to remain in the home full time. This usually means the family is deprived of the caretaker''s salary on a part-time or full-time basis.

Possible lost income and additional expenses incurred in caring for these family members should be acknowledged, with the family receiving tax credits or deductions to compensate for the extra expenses involved.

Alan Wardle''s Grandma was born in 1898. She married and had one son, Fred, named after her husband. In 1983, the couple moved out west to live with their son and his second wife, Sheilah, who loved her in-laws and took over responsabilities for their care and of their medications. Together, the two couples led active, involved lives. In 1984, Grandma had a stroke. She remained at home, under the care of her doctor and Sheilah. For a while her condition improved, but then she took a turn for the worse. She was not expected to live and her husband and son sadly made preparations for the funeral. But she did recover, at home. She was nursed by her daughter-in-law, and had visits from a physiotherapist, a nurse and the doctor. She recovered fully except that her handwriting was always shaky and hard to decipher, and she had to use a walker. Though much frailer than before, Grandma lived another ten years: four years happily in the care of her daughter-in-law, Sheilah, and the remainder in Nevada, where the climate was dryer, in a series of nursing homes til she died. Grandma was loved by her daughter-in-law, step grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The older children still remember her though they had not seen her for several years when she died. The whole family always felt awed that they were given those extra years to love and enjoy Grandma when everyone, including her husband, had given up hope and gave her only hours to live.²

How many grandmothers'' lives will be snuffed out prematurely when the flame of life flickers feebly, before giving them a chance to rally as Alan''s grandmother had? How many grandchildren will never know or not remember their grandparents and the precious stories of times gone by because someone "helped" them to die?

Sharon Schofield was a young mother of two boys under five when she was first diagnosed with M.S. Over the years that her boys were growing up, her condition deteriorated. With the loving support of her husband, his extended family, friends and home care support while Vic was at work, Sharon was at home as the boys grew up, surrounded by her loved ones and loved in return. Last Christmas Sharon suffered a stroke and almost died. Since then, she has lived in an extended care hospital not far from their home. Her life in the hospital is very different from what it was at home. She spends many hours alone, as the nurses are too busy to socialize. She cannot hold a book to read, and does not like to sit like a zombie in front of the TV.

But Sharon is very blessed: she has a loving husband who remains committed to their relationship. He arrives home to an empty house, (the boys are both grown now and the eldest is married with two little children), cooks his dinner quickly and drives over to the hospital in time to be with Sharon and feed her her dinner while it is still warm.

Vic says her life is very long and sterile in the hospital compared to the comings and goings at home. He feels it would be so easy to enrich the hospital experience of the thousands of Canadians who, like Sharon, can no longer live at home. Regular commitment from volunteers who would come once a week or even twice a month bringing a book to read aloud or a hobby to share would make such a difference. High school drama classes, choirs, bands, anyone could participate. Vic says there are many people who are not as fortunate as Sharon -- they never have any visitors.

The two most common reasons for people to want to commit suicide are poor pain management and loss of a reason to live. I am sure you have heard from others much more learned than I that pain management is not an issue today due to the large repertoire of medications available.

And with regards to the second reason which causes people to want to die, obviously, it is not within your powers to legislate a remedy for Canadians who have lost the desire to live. But you could set an example and encourage Canadians by the millions to become involved in a hospital by volunteering their time and a bit of energy. Surely, it would be far more humane for you to focus on helping those who are living rather than recommending legislating loopholes to facilitate killing.

To focus your report on benefits which will enhance and encourage living, especially in difficult circumstances, such as tax credits or tax deductions to families who care for an elderly or chronically ill family member in their home, would highlight the service to society which these families perform. To stress the value of all Canadians, regardless of their health, wealth or education would encourage others to look at the elderly and the chronically ill with compassion, and encourage the building of relationships--which is the best insulator against losing the will to live. To focus on the value of life would also give back courage to people who are older, or ill, or poor. Since the beginning of these hearings, many frail and elderly Canadians live in fear that the next time they have to see a doctor or go to the hospital they will never come home again--even if they could have.

The issue here is not who should live and who should die. We will all die. The issue being raised by this committee seems to me to be: Should we allow some healthy, well-educated people to kill other people who have the misfortune of being older, ill, alone, or defenseless? Should we allow some people to kill other people with impunity? I am saddened that this question even has been allowed to come up. The Canadian Medical Association rejected outright the practise of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide. REAL Women of B.C. urges you, Honorable Senators, to do so as well.

References for Quotes from Witnesses''

Written Accounts

¹: letter, as follows:

Cecilia Mary Clarke

Vancouver, B.C.

"I am a mother. David was born in 1967, and died in 1968. Kathleen was born in February, 1969 and died in November 1969. Joseph was born in 1973 and died in 1974. All these children developed Heamolitic Uremic Syndrome (H.U.S.). Their Death certificates read "heart failure".

"During their illnesses, many fine doctors, nurses, and staff at the Montreal Childrens Hospital fought long and hard to save them, but as the greize in the old entrance to tha hopsital says:"We bandage -- God heals".

"Death was ever present in the ICU during those long weeks and months I spent with my children as they died. Death when it came was, I knew, a beginningof new life for them. My husband and I were sustained by the knowledge that everything that could have been done for them here on earth had been done. The staff was wonderful. Death under such circumstances is dignified and clean -- even having a touch of the glory of God as His Presence is both sought and felt. How different are my feelings about the experience we had at the Montreal Children''s Hospital and the experience of the parents who had children who dies in Toronto Sick Childrens Hospital murdered by someone who decided to euthanize those babies. That''s what''s under discussion here in Canada now -- euthanasia and assisted suicide are murder, plain and simple. First it was abortion (murder the unborn); now it is euthanasia. If this is allowed it will start with the retarded and others that we don''t want to care for.

"I have a healthy adopted 27 year old daughter, married with a seven year old and a a one month old sons, both healthy and strong. My husband died in 1988. His death was suicide. This death has devastated my daughter and me. The grandchildren will not be told the truth, at least not for many years. Suicide has a domino effect; I am very concerned for our youth and the emphasis on making heros out of people who commit suicide.

"The job of government is to protect, not destroy. The job of doctors is to treat, teach, and deliver health care to us. We have to be able to trust those in whose hands we place our lives.

"Please don''t let us down.

Cecilia Mary Clarke

"P.S. I also work as a level II home support worker -- giving personal care, etcetera -- often with clients who are dying. When these discussions were first aired on C.B.C. last spring, many of my frail clients were anguished and stressed upon hearing them. I called the CRTC and reported this to them.

"Can''t we protect our right to life? Must even our very fragile and ill be made to feel unwanted and unwelcome? Why is this happening? It''s shameful to see the results firsthand!

"I wish I could express myself in a clearer way. This is indeed life and death and we are all being ill-served by the changes being soughtand by the breakdown of our values and traditions as Canadians.

² letter: Alan Wardle

New Westminster, B.C.

"My Grandparents have been gone for several years, however, the account of what I''m about to share with you is still very important to my family and to me.

"When my sisters and I had finished school and had moved out of the family home, there was more than enough room for my parents and the two dogs, so in 1983 Grandma and Grandpa were invited to come and live with them. Grandma was taking a dozen prescription pills a day. This was something my Mother found amazing: how she remembered which pill to take, and when. But at the age of 85 that was Grandma''s strongest talent -- her memory. It wasn''t noticeable if she had any ill health, either mentally or physically, so when she had her stroke in the spring of 1984, it was a shock to us all.

This was the beginning of the end of her energy and ultimately her life. She was in the kitchen at the time of the stroke. My mother was there and called for the ambulance right away. The aid van arrived to assist her and she regained consciousness. The doctors gave her permission to remain at home with the aid of a nurse to help her regain her mobility and stability through therapy and diet. In several weeks, Grandma was able to move about in a wheelchair and progressed to a walker.

The nurse and doctor felt Grandma would be able to continue her recovery without the help of the nurse. There continued to be some improvement, for a short time. But then Grandma became ill with nausea and began to lose weight and strength. This was about the time I had returned home for a visit and found Grandpa and my father discussing the funeral home arrangements and the purchase of a coffin for Grandma. I couldn''t understand why this attitude was gripping the two men I thought cared so much for Grandma. I knelt by her bedside and prayed for Grandma so that she might regain her health and that the plans for the funeral would be replaced with encouragement and support.

Several weeks after returning home I heard from my mother, and she gave me the good news of Grandma''s improved health and the plans to celebrate Grandma''s and Grandpa''s sixtieth wedding anniversary in November, 1985.

The wet rainy climate of the Pacific Northwest was making the maintenance of good health very difficult, so in 1988, they all moved to Nevada to a better climate. This did help and for five more years Grandma lived happily and in comfort until she slipped away in her sleep on May 24th, 1992. Thankfully, our Grandfather was wrong in his assessment of when a person is going to die, and God blessed Grandma with 8 more years in which she met three more great-grandchildren.

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