Canadian man has a doctor's approval for euthanasia despite admitting 'POVERTY ... trends now
A Canadian pensioner seeking euthanasia because he fears homelessness has received approval from a doctor despite admitting poverty is a major factor in the decision to end his own life.
Les Landry, 65, told assessors for the procedure he 'doesn't want to die' but has applied for medical assistance in dying (MAID) because he can't afford to live comfortably.
Astonishingly, a doctor has given one of the two signatures required for Landry to end his own life, despite knowing that financial hardship - not illness - is a leading reason for the profound decision.
Landry is now awaiting the decision of a second doctor who has assessed his eligibility. If that doctor rejects the application, Landry says he will simply 'shop' around for another who's prepared to sign off on his death - something that's allowed under Canada's assisted dying laws.
The shocking case lays bare the increasingly relaxed approach to euthanasia in Canada, where experts say 'choosing to die is more accessible than support for people with disabilities'.
Les Landry, 65, has received the approval of a doctor for euthanasia, despite admitting that poverty is a main factor in his decision. If he gets permission from a second doctor, he will be allowed to take his own life through medical assistance in death (MAID)
Dr Naheed Dosani, a palliative care physician and assistant professor at the University of Toronto, said Canada has reached a point where people are choosing to die 'not because they want they want to, but because they don't have adequate access' to proper health and social services.
More than 10,000 Canadians were euthanized last year, a tenfold increase on 2016 when the practise was legalized. In March, the law will change to allow mental health patients with no physical ailments to seek MAID.
Canada's law allows a person with a 'grievous and irremediable medical condition' to seek euthanasia, even if their illness isn't terminal.
Landry uses a wheelchair and has several other disabilities that mean he is eligible for MAID, including epilepsy and diabetes. But until recently, he was able to live comfortably, sharing his modest home in Medicine Hat, Alberta, with his service dog.
Changes to his state benefits when he turned 65 in May meant his income was cut and he's now left with around $120 per month after paying for medical bills and essentials.
Landry is also braced for a rent hike in January that could mean his benefits no longer cover the cost of essentials, placing him on the brink of homelessness.
In a series of interviews with DailyMail.com, he detailed his spiral into hardship and decision to pursue the 'bizarre' MAID application process that's made 'state-sanctioned suicide' a viable solution to his struggles.
'MAID is when the pain of living is more than the fear of death,' Landry said. 'How do you shut out the switch to both emotional and physical pain in poverty?
Landry said the application process was 'bizarre'. Canadians in several provinces can simply download a form online, like the one filed above by Landry, to start the euthanasia process
Landry said he's been honest with assessors that poverty has been a main factor. One doctor has already given approval for the procedure and he's awaiting the opinion of another
Doctors have visited Landry at home to assess his eligibility and one has approved his request for medical assistance in dying. Two approvals are required to go through with the process
Landry, who uses a wheelchair and has several medical conditions, lived comfortably until his benefits changed, but now he fears that he'll be left homeless by a shortfall in his finances
'If poverty takes somebody in a wheelchair and basically makes them homeless, what's the solution?'
'I don't want to go homeless. I don't want to end up living in a van so I can't make the van payments. I don't want to end up homeless. Who would want to be homeless at 16, never mind 65?
'Before I turned 65, I was livable, I wasn't suffering, I had my budget all set out, I'd know exactly how much I was going to get. And it was manageable. Now it's like, I don't know what I'm going to get from month to month.
'Sooner or later it's going to get to a point where I just won't be able to afford to live.'
Landry used to be a commercial truck driver and earned up to $85,000 per year. He suffered a hernia 15 years ago and complications with the treatment left him with dangerously high blood pressure.
That triggered three
