Calgary Autistic woman is refusing food and fluids to be approved for euthanasia (MAiD).

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director,
Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

I have very concerning news.

The autistic Calgary woman, known as MV, who was approved for euthanasia but whose father has challenged the euthanasia approval based on the fact that she is otherwise healthy, has been refusing food and fluids since May 28. 

Her lawyers are challenging the injunction preventing her euthanasia death based on the concept that death by dehydration is more harmful (painful) than death by euthanasia.

The only good outcome in this case is if MV changes her mind and once again accepts food and fluids.

MV's lawyers are arguing that the injunction preventing her euthanasia death should be set-aside based on the fact that death by dehydration can be horrific whereas death by euthanasia is usually quick.

Let's be clear. We are opposing setting aside the injunction preventing the euthanasia death and arguing that if the injunction is set aside, the precedent would be set that people who is denied death by euthanasia could stop eating and drinking to be approved to be killed.

Further to that, those who have advised her to stop eating and drinking are using MV for their own political and social purposes. MV is a victim of the death-lobby.

On May 30, the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) announced that we were granted intervener standing in the court case concerning the Calgary father who is trying to prevent the euthanasia death of his 27-year-old autistic daughter, who is otherwise healthy. EPC submitted our application to intervene, with legal arguments, on May 17 and we were approved as an intervener on May 30.

This case is very important to me since I have an autistic son. I am convinced that MV, who is otherwise healthy, was only approved for euthanasia because she is autistic. This is clearly a form disability discrimination.

The daughter was originally scheduled to die by euthanasia (MAiD) on February 1, but her father obtained a temporary injunction, on January 30, 2024, preventing her death.

CBC News reported on March 12, 2024 on this court case that the father argued that his daughter did not have a medical condition that qualifies under the law for death by lethal poison (MAiD) and yet the daughter had already been approved to be killed.

CBC News reporter, Meghan Grant reported on March 25, 2024 that Justice Feasby ruled that the 27-year-old daughter can die by euthanasia despite her father's concerns. Feasby withdrew the temporary injunction that prevented the woman from dying by euthanasia but Feasby maintained a 30 day stay of the injunction, which gave the father time to appeal the decision.

Justice Feasby ordered an assessment of the role of Alberta Health Services with relation to the approval of euthanasia for the autistic daughter.

On April 2, 2024, Kevin Martin reported for the Calgary Herald that the father of the 27-year-old autistic woman appealed the decision to the Alberta Court of Appeal.

On April 8, Justice Anne Kirker ordered a stay on the injunction to prevent the death of the MV until after the appeal is decided. The date of the appeal is not known but will likely be heard in October.

The court granted EPC a 20 page written argument and a 20 minute oral argument. The EPC intervention focuses on several issues but it primarily deals with the process that led to the approval of the 27-year-old autistic woman, who is otherwise healthy.