THE CAMPAIGN
Canada is the first country outside of Europe to have a legal framework, that could make physician-assisted death available to people suffering from non-terminal illnesses.
In October 2020 the Canadian government introduced Bill C-7, legislation to broaden the eligibility for MAiD to include Canadians who suffer from an interminable illness with no foreseeable death, and dementia patients who have made an advance request before losing the capacity to consent.
The 82-minute version of Road to Mercy explores the complex issue of providing medical assistance in dying to dementia patients through the story of Jack Brown. In the film Jack, who has been diagnosed with early on-set Alzheimer’s, considers his end-of-life options with his wife Riemke. Thousands of Canadians are faced with this difficult situation and a Public Health Agency report projects that deaths linked to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias will increase to 90,000 by 2031.
The film and discussion guide is available for groups who want to better understand how MAiD legislation might impact Canadians’ end of life choices.
