An ordinary hospital visit turned into something Miriam Lancaster says she never could have imagined.
The 84-year-old woman went to the emergency room in Vancouver in April 2025, seeking answers for sudden, severe back pain. Instead, she claims she was confronted with a proposal that left her shaken — an offer to enter Canada’s medically assisted dying program before any diagnosis or treatment was discussed.
According to reports cited by the Western Standard and the New York Post, Lancaster arrived at Vancouver General Hospital after the pain became so intense that her daughter called an ambulance. What followed, she says, was deeply unsettling.
“All I knew was that I woke up in excruciating pain – so much so that my daughter came running in from another room. She called an ambulance. Off I went to the Vancouver General Hospital and I was approached by a young lady doctor whose very first words out of her mouth were, ‘We would like to offer you MAiD’”, Miriam recounted in a video posted on X on March 18.
The moment caught her completely off guard.
“I was taken aback. That was the last thing on my mind. I just wanted to find out why I was in pain – I did not want to die.”
What is the MAiD program?
Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program allows eligible adults with serious and irreversible medical conditions, combined with intolerable suffering, to request medical help to end their lives. The process is governed by strict criteria, including voluntary consent, full information about alternatives, and confirmation by two independent medical professionals.
Lancaster’s experience raises questions about how and when such options are introduced to patients – especially in emergency settings where individuals are seeking immediate care and answers.
After spending a month in the hospital, her situation improved significantly. She returned home and, by her own account, recovered enough to resume parts of her normal life.
“So my recover has been amazing, and there was no need for MAiD to even be suggested.”
A broader debate around assisted dying
Lancaster’s story emerges amid growing attention on Canada’s assisted dying framework and its rapid expansion over recent years.
The country first legalized euthanasia in 2016 for patients with terminal illnesses. Subsequent legal changes broadened eligibility to include individuals with serious and chronic physical conditions, even when death is not imminent. In 2021, access was further extended to people living with serious and incurable illnesses or disabilities.
There are also plans to expand eligibility to individuals whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness, though this measure has already been postponed twice, according to the BBC.
Data from the federal government indicates that medically assisted deaths now account for roughly 5% of all deaths in Canada — a figure that underscores how significantly the program has become embedded within the healthcare system.
Estimates cited by the New York Post suggest that Canada could reach a cumulative total of 100,000 assisted deaths before the program marks its 10th anniversary on June 17.
Canada is not alone in legalizing assisted dying. In the past decade, countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Spain, and Austria have also introduced similar laws, each with its own safeguards and eligibility criteria.