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”.
Why Did Sue Rodriguez Want to End Her Life?
Sue Rodriguez wanted the right to end her life on her own terms; to decide how, when, and who controlled the way she would die. And she was determined to fight for that right.
Rodriguez brought her argument all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, which ultimately decided she had no legal right to ask anyone to help her die.
During her court battle, Sue Rodriguez became close to Svend Robinson, a member of Parliament from Burnaby, B.C. Four months after the Supreme Court decision, Robinson helped Rodriguez find a doctor willing to help her end her life.
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.