Dr. Ellen Wiebe, 72, is a provider of MAID (medical assistance in dying) in Canada, where she has assisted several terminally ill patients in ending their lives.
Patients often express the same reasons for their choice to end their lives, irrespective of their financial status.
Facing one’s mortality can prompt deep reflections on life and its significance, causing some individuals to consider assisted dying.
Dr. Ellen Wiebe, a leading expert in medical aid in dying (MAID) in Canada, has assisted many individuals with terminal illnesses in this process. She observes that patients often share similar reasons for choosing to end their lives, regardless of their financial situation. Reflecting on her experiences, Dr. Wiebe, 72, shared the end-of-life thoughts of two patients she classified as “rich and poor” during her first year as an MAID provider. She described a wealthy woman who was “rich in every way,” living in a luxurious home surrounded by family, friends, and dedicated full-time caregivers.
In contrast, a disadvantaged man was described as “poor in every way,” living in “horrible housing” and experiencing troubled relationships with his caregivers. In an interview with the New York Times, she remarked, “One of them was rich in every way. She not only had a beautiful home and financial resources, but also a loving husband, children, and friends. She required full care, and her staff provided that support.
“The man, however, lived in a terrible housing situation and was poor in every aspect. He had no money and frequently clashed with his caregivers.”
Dr. Wiebe further explained that, despite their differing living situations, both individuals expressed the “same thing” regarding their wish to pass away. Both the man and the woman described their lives as reduced to simply transitioning from their chair during the day to their bed at night, stating, “That’s not life.”
The woman remarked, “They said the same things to me: The woman surrounded by her loving family in a beautiful home said, ‘All I can do is sit in my recliner all day and then lie in bed all night. That’s not good enough.’
The man echoed her feelings, saying, ‘Life isn’t good enough when all I can do is sit in a chair and then lie in bed. That’s not life.'”
The doctor also shared that she asks all her patients whether they believe in life after death to understand if they are anticipating an afterlife. She noted that her experiences with patients and death have deepened her understanding of “what’s important in life,” particularly the value of spending time with family and friends.
