Sue Rodriguez was a Canadian right-to-die activist. In August 1991, she was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease) and was given two to five years to live.
She ultimately made the decision to end her life and she sought the assistance of a doctor to that end, leading to a legal battle.
She lost her case in front of the Supreme Court of Canada but took her own life with the help of an anonymous doctor on February 12, 1994. She is cited as an important figure in the eventual legalization of medical assistance for dying in Canada.
On June 17, 2016, medically assisted death became legal in Canada. An emotional Svend Robinson, who now lives in Geneva, Switzerland, told the press: “Today’s ruling is a victory for compassion, for justice and for humanity.
And I pay tribute to the memory of Sue Rodriguez, who with courage, passion and dignity blazed the trail that led to this historic day. She would have been thrilled”.
What Was Sue Rodriguez Diagnosed With? What Disease Did Sue Rodriguez Have?
Sue Rodriguez was diagnosed in 1991 with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the renowned New York Yankees baseball star who died in his prime in 1941.
Her brain gradually loses the ability to communicate with the muscles. ALS leaves a person unable to walk, talk, eat, swallow and ultimately breathe.
Rodriguez wanted a section of the federal Criminal Code changed that made helping another person commit suicide punishable by 14 years in jail.
Rodriguez died Saturday, Feb. 12, 1994, at home after taking a mixture of morphine and secobarbital. She was 43 years old.
By the end, she lost almost all movement in her body. She had difficulty breathing and speaking. Sometimes she choked and gagged and suffered muscle spasms. She could no longer hug her nine-year-old son Cole.