Quadriplegic Ontario woman considers medically assisted dying because of long ODSP wait times

A quadriplegic woman in Bowmanville, Ont. has applied for medical assistance in dying (MAID), saying it's easier to access than the support services she needs to live her life comfortably.

Rose Finlay, 33, has been a full-time wheelchair user since a diving accident when she was 17.

But for the past year, she says, she's been without the reliable daily support she needs. Without that support, which includes bathroom assistance, she suffers from recurring urinary tract and kidney infections.

"I've been very ill," Finlay said. "I've been bedridden for the last year so my quality of life has significantly decreased."

The single mother of three boys previously supported her family with earnings from disability advocacy work through her company, Inclusive Solutions. That's also how she could afford to hire her own support workers.

But about a year ago, her care workers moved on to other jobs and her health began to decline.

With no other way to earn an income, Finlay applied for the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) and says she was told by a representative over the phone that it would take at least six to eight months to have her application approved.

According to the federal government's website, the approval period for MAID is only 90 days. MAID allows individuals with "grievous and irremediable" medical conditions to end their life with the assistance of a doctor or nurse practitioner. 

"That tells me that our government is not prioritizing the lives of disabled people and that it is easier to let disabled people go than it is to actually give them the assistance that they need," Finlay said.

While waiting to hear about ODSP and faced with the possibility that her recurring infections could lead to further illness, including sepsis, Finlay made the decision to apply for MAID in March. 

"It's not what I want," she said. "But if I don't receive the support that I need, the outcome is the same. If I get to a point where I am really sick and basically terminally ill anyways, I would like to have other options."

Ron Anicich, a spokesperson for the ODSP Action Coalition, told CBC Toronto the organization has heard from a number of Ontarians with disabilities who have considered or applied for MAID because they feel like they're running out of options.

"That's a big problem," he said. "If people are even considering going for MAID because of poor social assistance rates, then that is something that definitely needs to be looked at, that needs to be fixed, that needs to be repaired."

One of the biggest issues applying with ODSP appears to be a lack of clarity around how long it takes for an application to be reviewed, says Anicich.