New documentary explores journey to medical assistance in dying in Canada

Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) is a topic that raises complex feelings for many Canadians. For the last year, Citytv has been following the journey of Cheryl Romaire and her request to access MAiD.

Romaire lives with a rare, incurable autoimmune disease, and for the last five years, she has been living through daily, debilitating pain.

“I have adhesive arachnoiditis. There’s inflammation surrounding my spinal cord, brain and nerve routes,” Romaire told CityNews. “I feel intense pressure like there’s a hundred-pound rock sitting on my tailbone, and it’s crushing me.”

For the original Citytv documentary, Veracity: MAiD in Canada, the 45-year-old mother of two records her journey and daily struggle on an iPhone.

While Romaire’s days don’t vary much, what has changed is the legislation around medical assistance in dying.

“Right now, I’m getting together all my paperwork to mail in my record for a request for medical assistance in dying.”

Just last year, access to MAID was expanded, so those whose death isn’t reasonably foreseeable or those who aren’t terminally ill, like Romaire, can apply for MAiD.

Canadian law states that two independent medical professionals must assess any person requesting MAiD. Some regions and provinces have fewer doctors and nurses providing MAiD than others, like Alberta, where Romaire found even fewer who’re willing to assess someone who isn’t terminally ill.

Dr. Ellen Wiebe, a MAiD provider, now supplies virtual assessments for patients across the country.

“I’ve seen a number of other patients from Alberta because although there were assessors and providers, they weren’t handling some of the really more difficult cases,” she said.

Even though more people can apply for a clinician-assisted death, accessing it isn’t a simple process for many.

She also notes that more and more doctors are getting temporary provincials licences and travelling to deliver MAiD provisions because many providers don’t want to take on the more complex cases.

“I just had a referral from northern B.C. The Northern Health Authority as providers, but it was impossible to find someone to help this person.”

For many individuals in Romaire’s situation, this deeply personal decision can come with conflicting emotions, as it’s also a difficult journey for some family members to support.

“I don’t want to show excitement for something that is going to hurt my family,” expressed Romaire. “I find myself explaining that I want to live. MAiD isn’t suicide. It’s not the same thing at all.”

You can follow Romaire’s entire journey to access a medically assisted death by watching the original documentary, Veracity: MAID in Canada, which airs this Sunday, February 27, at 10 p.m. EST only on Citytv.