Miriam Lancaster, a Canadian woman, ignited a social media firestorm after sharing that during a visit to the hospital for severe back pain, doctors proposed euthanasia, referred to in Canada as medically assisted dying, or MAID.
On March 18, Lancaster’s account went viral, seemingly contradicting the protective measures surrounding Canada’s rapidly expanding physician-assisted suicide initiative.
Lancaster was interviewed by Amanda Achtman, the founder of a project that opposes Canada’s euthanasia laws. Achtman frequently shares conversations with individuals who have been offered MAID, and her efforts to shed light on euthanasia have likened Canada’s situation to a critical point in the “MeToo” movement regarding the issue.
Lancaster, 84, recounted to Achtman that she went to an emergency room in Vancouver in April 2025 after experiencing intense back pain. Her daughter called for an ambulance and took her to Vancouver General Hospital (VGH). “The first thing my daughter said was: the doctor pronounced her dead,” Lancaster recalled.
“I wasn’t even tested,” she said in an interview, explaining, “All I knew was that I was in the emergency ward and the doctor I expected approached me, and the first thing he did was ask me about MAID.”
Lancaster mentioned that the very first thing the female doctor said was, “I would like to provide you with a maid.”
She expressed her shock: “I wasn’t thinking about that. I just wanted to know why I was suffering. I didn’t want to die.”
Jordan Weaver, Lancaster’s daughter, stated to a news outlet that her mother was given a preliminary diagnosis but was offered MAID as the first option when she was already suffering significantly.
“We were in emergency for several hours. My mother had a fractured pelvis. It was a spontaneous fracture due to osteoporosis, but at first, it was hard to detect,” Weaver explained.
Since the hospital couldn’t perform surgery on Lancaster’s pelvic fracture, she spent a week at VGH and then additional weeks at UBC Hospital for rehabilitation.
“She required a lot of supervision from a team of doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, and physical therapists. She couldn’t return home, and the treatment was quite costly, but fortunately, no surgery was necessary. As evident from her story, she fully recovered,” Weaver noted.
In fact, Lancaster recovered enough to travel with her family, including trips to Cuba, Mexico, and Guatemala, where she even rode horses up volcanoes. Her health did not indicate that she should qualify for euthanasia as per Canadian law, which aims to prevent situations like the one Lancaster faced.
Weaver remarked that her mother was a distressed and frightened elderly woman, concerned that, had she not been there to support her, doctors might have pushed for MAID.
“It was as if MAID was presented as an option to permanently end the pain. It felt somewhat encouraging. If you trust healthcare professionals, you might almost find that acceptable,” Weaver said.
“I think my mom is pretty assertive, but if I hadn’t been present, the doctor could have been manipulative. It was so sudden, it felt manipulative,” she continued.
Both Lancaster and Weaver agreed to participate in further interviews as public interest in their story grew. Weaver stated that both she and her mother are Catholics and would refuse MAID under any circumstances.
Initially, Canada had strict regulations for euthanasia, limiting it to individuals who were terminally ill or suffering immensely. However, those guidelines have increasingly loosened over the past few years to include claims of “unbearable mental suffering” as valid justifications for euthanasia.
The country is marking ten years since legalizing assisted suicide, with some pro-life advocates warning that the number of deaths could surpass 100,000 by then. Official reports indicated that as of last December, 76,475 deaths were recorded due to this program.
Lancaster’s situation has stirred intense discussions among politicians and commentators about whether doctors should be banned from initiating conversations about MAID. Those against euthanasia worry that doctors may promote assisted suicide too aggressively, especially as treatment waitlists continue to grow, leading to more instances similar to Lancaster’s experience. There have been accusations that the Canadian healthcare system is promoting MAID as a means to address patient backlog.
Some Canadians may be surprised to learn that there are currently no laws preventing doctors from promoting euthanasia. In response to a question about whether he assisted Lancaster or others in filing complaints, Achtman remarked that no crime or formal breach of Canadian medical ethics had occurred, as there was “no actual violation of current protocols,” even for someone who was later able to ride a horse up a mountain mere months after being offered a way to end her life.
Lancaster expressed that she didn’t want to cause trouble. She praised the care she received at VGH and UBC but recalled how her husband was offered euthanasia when facing metastatic cancer in 2023, which he declined due to his beliefs and subsequently passed away ten days later.
“I just wanted to move past this incident and continue with my life. I really didn’t want to ruin anyone’s career,” she shared.
Alberta is now reviewing a bill known as the End of Life Act, intended to prevent doctors from starting discussions about MAID with patients. Both Lancaster and Weaver expressed support for this proposed law.
“I think this is wonderful. I will share this with Alberta officials for consideration. It serves as a reasonable safeguard against doctors who might manipulate vulnerable patients, intentionally or otherwise,” Lancaster stated.
