CHLSD volunteer suspended for speaking to patients about euthanasia
We had published fairly recently the testimony of a volunteer working in a residential and long-term care center (CHSLD) in Estrie, Quebec. He reported what he had experienced when one of the patients he was helping to exercise told him that he wanted to be euthanized, that he wanted to die. Sylvain Lamontagne, there is no longer any need to keep his name anonymous since it was published in La Tribune , had tried to
show him the malice of such an act. Mr. Lamontagne's letter said :
This fall, bad news, he announces that he has asked for medical aid in dying and he invites me to a party he is organizing for his last departure. Immediately I tell him my grief and disappointment at such a request and I tell him that I will never go to such a party where someone asks to be killed, because it is against my Christian values. To be present at such a party is to encourage the person to be killed. I tell him and remind him that God does not want us to kill ourselves and that it is even one of the ten commandments. Life is sacred. I remind him that this sends a bad message to his family and gives a bad testimony: it means that it is better to kill yourself when it does not work as you want.
Twice, in the following days and before he took action, I tried to get him to change his mind with love and tenderness, but with firmness. The situation broke my heart, because I myself lived, a few years ago, the suicide of my brother who had three children and I saw the devastation that this made in the lives of each. I was hoping that he would change his mind for his own good, because someone who wants to kill himself is in psychological distress and needs help, not to die, but to live, and it is to encourage him who is true love.
Shortly after, a member of the temporary staff met me and informed me that I had two complaints concerning me. One from the patient involved and the other from a staff member who asked me to stop talking to him about medical assistance in dying…
Since then, we have been able to see that Radio-Canada had read our article and asked for confirmation from the health system (note that the author of the article is not even able to name our organization: Campagne Québec -Life . It's simple, no!):
In a testimony published on a Christian anti-euthanasia blog, a person claiming to be a volunteer in a residential and long-term care center (CHSLD) in Estrie tells how he intervened with a patient in order to convince him to give up medical aid in dying. The story, which was confirmed by the Integrated University Center for Health and Social Services of Estrie, disappoints the president of the Association of Stakeholders in
Spiritual Care of Quebec, Pierre-Alexandre Richard.
show him the malice of such an act. Mr. Lamontagne's letter said :
This fall, bad news, he announces that he has asked for medical aid in dying and he invites me to a party he is organizing for his last departure. Immediately I tell him my grief and disappointment at such a request and I tell him that I will never go to such a party where someone asks to be killed, because it is against my Christian values. To be present at such a party is to encourage the person to be killed. I tell him and remind him that God does not want us to kill ourselves and that it is even one of the ten commandments. Life is sacred. I remind him that this sends a bad message to his family and gives a bad testimony: it means that it is better to kill yourself when it does not work as you want.
Twice, in the following days and before he took action, I tried to get him to change his mind with love and tenderness, but with firmness. The situation broke my heart, because I myself lived, a few years ago, the suicide of my brother who had three children and I saw the devastation that this made in the lives of each. I was hoping that he would change his mind for his own good, because someone who wants to kill himself is in psychological distress and needs help, not to die, but to live, and it is to encourage him who is true love.
Shortly after, a member of the temporary staff met me and informed me that I had two complaints concerning me. One from the patient involved and the other from a staff member who asked me to stop talking to him about medical assistance in dying…
Since then, we have been able to see that Radio-Canada had read our article and asked for confirmation from the health system (note that the author of the article is not even able to name our organization: Campagne Québec -Life . It's simple, no!):
In a testimony published on a Christian anti-euthanasia blog, a person claiming to be a volunteer in a residential and long-term care center (CHSLD) in Estrie tells how he intervened with a patient in order to convince him to give up medical aid in dying. The story, which was confirmed by the Integrated University Center for Health and Social Services of Estrie, disappoints the president of the Association of Stakeholders in
Spiritual Care of Quebec, Pierre-Alexandre Richard.
Then on February 28, we received an email from Mr. Lamontagne, where he reported the news of his dismissal:
Following the article in La Tribune, CIUSSS of Sherbrooke suspended me as a volunteer from the CHSLD of Valcourt by phone and email, and this as of today. It shows the nonsense of our institutions.
I am satisfied to see that this will be discussed to show that we are not really in a democratic country. Those who are for AMM are welcome, and others who are against are not allowed to speak. And to say that it started from my article which was on the Campaign Quebec Life website. We will see the rest of things to see how far it will go.
Mr. Lamontagne, according to what this article in La Tribune reports, volunteered out of Christian conviction, the same convictions that prompted him to tell residents who wanted euthanasia that this act was bad:
Mr. Lamontagne has volunteered two days a week since 2013. "If it hadn't been for my Christian convictions,
I wouldn't have stayed that long," he says.
"Everything was fine until we started talking about medical assistance in dying," continues Mr. Lamontagne.
Despite the complaints filed against him, Mr. Lamontagne planned to continue talking to the candidates for euthanasia, according to La Tribune
“When the person says“ Sylvain, I'm going to do it ”, I can't do more. I will say it at least once, if I talk about it again, I will answer, but I will not come back every day. My job is to do it at least once, ”he says.
If he is forbidden to broach this subject, Mr. Lamontagne would leave the CHSLD. "I can't help but speak. I would tell lies. It is like asking not to give food to someone who is hungry, ”sums up Mr. Lamontagne, who calls for a real debate around this question.
Except that what happened is that the center suspended Mr. Lamontagne, who comments on the gesture: "" I asked if I could appeal this decision, I was told that it was irreversible. am sad and disappointed. They say that in Russia and in China, they cannot speak. I thought that we lived in a democratic country, that we could speak. If you are against medical aid in dying , we put you down and we kick you out [...] I was not doing anything wrong, in my heart, it is good to tell someone not to kill themselves ",
he commented in an interview telephone ”reports another article from La Tribune .
In short, we can talk about euthanasia to patients, but especially not tell them that euthanasia is bad ...
Following the article in La Tribune, CIUSSS of Sherbrooke suspended me as a volunteer from the CHSLD of Valcourt by phone and email, and this as of today. It shows the nonsense of our institutions.
I am satisfied to see that this will be discussed to show that we are not really in a democratic country. Those who are for AMM are welcome, and others who are against are not allowed to speak. And to say that it started from my article which was on the Campaign Quebec Life website. We will see the rest of things to see how far it will go.
Mr. Lamontagne, according to what this article in La Tribune reports, volunteered out of Christian conviction, the same convictions that prompted him to tell residents who wanted euthanasia that this act was bad:
Mr. Lamontagne has volunteered two days a week since 2013. "If it hadn't been for my Christian convictions,
I wouldn't have stayed that long," he says.
"Everything was fine until we started talking about medical assistance in dying," continues Mr. Lamontagne.
Despite the complaints filed against him, Mr. Lamontagne planned to continue talking to the candidates for euthanasia, according to La Tribune
“When the person says“ Sylvain, I'm going to do it ”, I can't do more. I will say it at least once, if I talk about it again, I will answer, but I will not come back every day. My job is to do it at least once, ”he says.
If he is forbidden to broach this subject, Mr. Lamontagne would leave the CHSLD. "I can't help but speak. I would tell lies. It is like asking not to give food to someone who is hungry, ”sums up Mr. Lamontagne, who calls for a real debate around this question.
Except that what happened is that the center suspended Mr. Lamontagne, who comments on the gesture: "" I asked if I could appeal this decision, I was told that it was irreversible. am sad and disappointed. They say that in Russia and in China, they cannot speak. I thought that we lived in a democratic country, that we could speak. If you are against medical aid in dying , we put you down and we kick you out [...] I was not doing anything wrong, in my heart, it is good to tell someone not to kill themselves ",
he commented in an interview telephone ”reports another article from La Tribune .
In short, we can talk about euthanasia to patients, but especially not tell them that euthanasia is bad ...