Video highlights risks of medically-provided euthanasia system in Canada

In a video conversation with Amanda Achtman of Dying to Meet You, Christopher Lyons relates how his suicidal and depressed father was able to request and die by medically-provided euthanasia in the health care system. (Screen capture image)

Posted By: Kiply Lukan Yaworski March 11, 2025

By Peter Oliver, Catholic Health Association of Saskatchewan

One of the most compelling videos on the subject of euthanasia that I have seen was recently released by Amanda Achtman. It is the story of Christopher Lyon’s father’s death.  This short video highlights several important dimensions of our country’s reckless adoption of euthanasia, and it invites us to action.

Christopher talks about his father’s suicidal precondition which made him susceptible to euthanasia, the absence of safeguards that would have prevented him from accessing euthanasia, as well as his family’s inability to prevent his death.

Christopher describes his father as loving and affectionate but also as an individual who was traumatized by experiences working on the police force. He tells us, “Two months after the government expanded euthanasia for people who were not imminently dying, my father applied for it…  He had arthritis, diabetes, chronic conditions like that. None of them were imminently fatal, and that’s how he applied for MAID (medically-provided death).”

Christopher feels his message is important because his “experience is not speculative or abstract” and I would add that his account stands out because it is in stark contrast to the romanticized depictions of euthanasia prevalent in the media.

He describes the shock he experienced when his family received a call from the euthanasia provider who “said that essentially your dad’s scheduled to die on Friday, and if you want to see him before he dies, you have two days to get here” and the experience of watching a doctor end his father’s life.

The video conversation explores Christopher’s unsuccessful attempt to intervene to prevent his father’s death and Amanda observes that “Some proponents of euthanasia have said that family members are their biggest problem.” But as Christopher emphasizes, “the people most affected by a MAID death before and after it occurs, outside of the person dying, are the family members.”

The video ends with this thoughtful invitation: “I’ve shared my story because it’s been a help to me to share it, and it might be a help to you to share your story, too… You never know how your story or my story might be a help to somebody else.

As I draw this article to a close, I’d like to highlight that the Christian Medical and Dental Association is gathering local stories related to medically-provided death. Sharing your story is a courageous act and it could help to save lives. If you or someone you know is willing to share their experience, please pass along this link: Saskatchewan Experiences with MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) | CMDA

Finally, the Catholic Health Association of Saskatchewan is working constructively to address the harms done by euthanasia and to strengthen Catholic Health throughout the province.

If you are a healthcare professional and you are experiencing moral distress related to medically-provided euthanasia in the health care system, get in touch with us, we would like to help: peter@chassk.ca.

Related – The Christian Medical and Dental Association (CMDA) is working on Saskatchewan advocacy efforts related to medically-provided euthanasia, known as “Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD).” Alongside local healthcare providers and leading advocacy associations, CMDA and the Catholic Health Association of Saskatchewan (CHAS) are advocating for safeguards that protect both healthcare professionals and vulnerable patients.As policies related to provision of medically-provided euthanasia expand, CMDA wants to ensure that:

  • Healthcare providers have the right to decline participation in medically-provided euthanasia without facing pressure or professional consequences;
  • Patients have access to meaningful alternative care options and are not subjected to unsolicited offers.

Healthcare Provider Signatures & Stories:

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