Lifted out of poverty, a Canadian seeks permission to die by euthanasia

Posted On: December 15, 2022

A 65-year-old Canadian retiree seeks permission to end his life with euthanasia assistance because he lives in poverty. Substance use for medical assistance in dying has been legalized in Canada since 2016 for people with a “grievous and irremediable medical condition”, even if the disease is not terminal.

There is no provision for granting under the argument of social condition, however, due to previous medical issues, which would be more difficult to care for without decent access to healthcare, the man has already obtained one of two signatures from doctors that he is to undergo the procedure. .

Les Landry lives in the city of Medicine Hat and has said he “doesn’t want to die,” but prefers not to continue living in his current financial situation. To the Canadian newspaper Global News, he told that he worked as a truck driver, but that he had to quit his job after a epilepsy and three taps.

For years, government disability assistance and one-time donations solicited by Twitter have been Landry’s livelihood. His paint even got worse and the man had to use a wheelchair. Then, for bureaucratic reasons, he ended up losing access to financial aid, since he was 65 years old.

Les Landry shares a home with his guide dog in Medicine Hat, Canada

Image: Les Landry/Facebook

“What I missed were disability benefits – service dog allowance, special diet allowance, transport allowance,” he says. “I am no longer a disabled person. I am an elderly person in poverty,” he told Global News.

With the loss of income and rising prices, the man fears he will soon find himself homeless, leading him to seek medical assistance in dying (MAID).

“I am not against euthanasia. What I am against is the extension of the procedure without improving the benefits or the quality of life. How to reach a section of society that has death as the only option for out of his situation?” he asked.

One of Landry’s doctors granted one of the two signatures needed for him to undergo the procedure.

Image: Les Landry/Facebook

One of the doctors Les approached granted one of two signatures needed for him to undergo the procedure, knowing that financial hardship — not illness — was the primary reason for the decision. For the moment, the retiree is awaiting the decision of a second doctor so that he can request the intervention.

In a report given to the British tabloid Daily Mail, the pensioner said that if the medical professional’s decision is negative, he will continue to seek another specialist willing to sign the application.