Victoria BC woman dies by euthanasia after waiting 10 weeks for a cancer treatment assessment.

Alex Schadenbeg
Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Samia Saikali with daughters

A Victoria BC woman decided to die by euthanasia (MAiD) because she was forced to wait 10 weeks, just to see an oncologist for her aggressive cancer.

Mary Griffin reported for CHEK news that Danielle Baker, the daughter of Samia Saikali (67), wants changes to cancer treatment in British Columbia since her mother died by euthanasia because she was forced to wait 10 weeks for an oncology appointment. Griffin reported:

On March 17, she received a diagnosis of inoperable stomach cancer. Her surgeon told her she had two options: Without treatment, she had only three to six months to live. With chemotherapy, it would add at least a year to her life.

“She said I’ll do what I can, like, I will do treatment and fight for as long and hold on for as long as I can,” said Baker. “I want to have the summer, at least, with you girls. We had so many plans. But she started to go downhill so quickly with the gastric cancer.”

It took 10 weeks to get in to see an oncologist.

By then, she had only weeks to live.

Baker's mother was a fighter but by the time she had the appointment with the oncologist, it was too late. Griffin wrote:

“It should not have taken that long, because that was the difference, especially an aggressive cancer,” said Baker. “Between my mom being strong enough to handle, and withstand, treatment to give her a fair shot at more months to live, versus not.”

Dan Quayle

This is not the first British Columbia story of a person dying by euthanasia while waiting for cancer treatment. A National Post story reported on December 5 that Dan Quayle also died by euthanasia in Victoria BC while awaiting treatment:

Dan Quayle marked his 52nd birthday on Oct. 7 in Victoria General Hospital waiting to find out when chemotherapy would start for an aggressive form of esophageal cancer. He would die waiting.

After 10 weeks in hospital, Quayle, a gregarious grandfather who put on his best silly act for his two grandkids, was in so much pain, unable to eat or walk, he opted for a medically assisted death on Nov. 24. This was despite assurances from doctors that chemotherapy had the potential to prolong his life by a year.

His family prayed he would change his mind or get an 11th-hour call that the chemo had been scheduled, said his step-daughter Shayleen Griffiths, whose mother, Kathleen Carmichael, had been with Quayle for 16 years. As the weeks dragged on in hospital, Carmichael kept pressing for answers on when chemo would be scheduled. 

Allison Ducluzeau

There was also the story of Allison Ducluzeau reported by Amy Judd and Kylie Stanton for Global News on November 27. 

Ducluzeau was diagnosed with abdominal cancer and was offered MAiD (euthanasia) rather than treatment, instead she was successfully treated in the US

Ducluzeau found several places where she could receive treatment in the US and she was then successfully treated at the Institute for Cancer Care at Mercy Medical Centre in Baltimore.

Before going ahead with treatment 'she called BC Cancer to ask how long it might be to see the oncologist and was told it could be weeks, months, or longer, they had no idea.'

Ducluzeau is doing well now and thanks the team at Mercy Medical Center but she is now working to get the BC Ministry of Health to pay for her successful treatment that she received in Baltimore.

Euthanasia (MAiD) was legalized in Canada based on freedom and choice and autonomy. Instead Canada is now experiencing euthanasia based on poverty, homelessness and an inability to receive medical treatment.

Euthanasia is not about freedom but abandonment. 

More articles on this topic:

• Canadian (BC) Cancer Patient Euthanized After He Couldn’t Obtain Chemotherapy (Link)
• BC woman with cancer who was offered euthanasia, was successfully treated in the US (Link)