In B.C. Supreme Court, a case has commenced to determine if faith-based organizations can forbid medical assistance in dying (MAID) on their premises. The lawsuit, initiated by Samantha O’Neill’s family, revolves around the painful transfer she had to undergo from St. Paul’s Hospital to a Vancouver Coastal Health-administered hospice to access MAID.
Accompanied by pro-MAID activists outside the court, Sam’s mother, Gaye O’Neill, emotionally recounted her daughter’s final ordeal. Samantha, aged 34 and battling Stage 4 cervical cancer, was transported to St. Paul’s Hospital in extreme pain in March 2023. As her condition worsened, she requested MAID, leading to her transfer to a hospice due to St. Paul’s faith-based stance against MAID.
The family highlights the distressing forced transfer Samantha endured and argues that denying MAID services in faith-based facilities violates patients’ constitutional rights. The legal team, led by lawyer Robin Gage, aims to challenge the constitutionality of health-care institutions prohibiting MAID and will present evidence of the harm caused by this policy.
While the plaintiffs advocate for MAID availability in faith-based facilities, the government asserts the existence of adjacent spaces like Shoreline for MAID procedures. The case is anticipated to set a precedent for similar facilities nationwide, with the trial expected to conclude in late summer or early fall following a five-week duration.