Matt Vallière in the Los Angeles Times Thanks to the LA Times for sharing Matt’s letter, which strongly opposes assisted suicide laws. Read his letter to the editor below: Steve Lopez asks, “Will the option [of assisted suicide] be there for others?” To plaintiffs in the referenced lawsuit and many in the disability, older adult

Celebrating 33 Years of the ADA Today marks the 33rd anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). On this day, July 26th, 1990, the ADA was signed and enshrined civil rights protections into law for people with disabilities. Today and every ADA anniversary, the Patients’ Rights Action Fund (PRAF) celebrates the

Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo Praised for Veto of Assisted Suicide Bill The Patients’ Rights Action Fund and its numerous allies in the disability, medical, and religious communities commend Governor Joe Lombardo for his veto of SB 239, legislation that would have for the first time legalized assisted suicide in Nevada.   “The bill contained deadly harm

Appeal in Shavelson Lawsuit Voluntarily Dismissed In 2022, proponents of assisted suicide attempted to move into allowing euthanasia by filing a lawsuit in federal court, Shavelson, M.D. et al v. California Department of Health Care Services, claiming that the provision in California law which requires that lethal drugs be self-administered is unconstitutional. Proponents lost at

April State Status Update We celebrate victories in Connecticut, Maryland, and New Mexico! CONNECTICUT: Assisted suicide was defeated once again in Connecticut. Connecticut Legislature rejected the latest effort to legalize assisted suicide and bill SB1076 did not go forward.  Once again, the state of Connecticut has made the right decision to protect patients. MARYLAND: The

Maryland and Washington Psychiatric Societies Oppose Assisted Suicide We are grateful for the bold statement from the Maryland and Washington Psychiatric Societies commenting on the issues and dangers of assisted suicide, particularly as it pertains to people with psychiatric disabilities.    “Many serious medical conditions are known to cause a variety of capacity-impairing mental disorders,

Comments on the Proposed DEA Regulation The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has proposed a regulation which will require an in-person visit between doctor and patient prior to the prescribing of certain drugs. While telehealth provides access for many patients with chronic disease or disability – there is the opportunity for abuse. We believe a nuanced

Once the Door is Opened to Euthanasia, the Slope will Slip Recently, Dr. Mark S. Komrad provided comments on the sickening story of a Belgian criminal euthanized at the end of February, 2023. His words provide exceptional insight into the ever slippery slope of assisted suicide. Read his insight below:   This story I find

Mental Illness is not a Terminal Diagnosis Canada announced a delay in the implementation of assisted suicide for people with mental health disabilities. Since this delay, many proponents of and advocates against these laws have spoken up about this decision. Mr. Ashley Geddes wrote an article in the Alberta Times covering some of the reactions

Life With Dignity In our pandemic strained, profit-driven health care system, intractable pain and the fear of unimaginable suffering is not one of the top five reasons surveyed that many of society’s most vulnerable feel driven towards assisted suicide; Loss of autonomy, dignity and the perceived fear of being a burden to family, friends and

Canada’s Expansion in the World Medical Journal The World Medical Journal shared a compelling article on the dangerous expansions in Canada’s assisted suicide laws. The article reveals that Canada implemented their expansion to allow assisted suicide for patients with mental illness, and did so with a lack of evidence-based decision making, medical expert input, or

Patient’s Rights Action Fund Statement on Decision in Kligler Case 12-21-2022 The Court Made the Right Decision   The following is a statement from Matt Vallière, Executive Director of the Patient’s Rights Action Fund.   In rejecting Kligler v. Healey, in which supporters of assisted suicide were seeking to exempt the practice from the Commonwealth’s case

No One Should Choose Between Poverty and Death An advertisement by Simons, a retailer in Canada, that attempted to tell a dying woman’s story of euthanasia in a positive and artistic way was not telling the whole story at all. In a shocking turn of events, CTV News announced at the beginning of December that

Present Day Eugenics Canada is commonly recognized as one of the world’s most progressive nations, especially as it relates to healthcare. However, recent cases of veterans being offered assisted suicide is calling the true success of its healthcare system into question. Now, a Paralympic athlete and veteran of Canada’s military, Christine Gauthier, who desired a

We Need Real Care For People With Disabilities Alice Wong lives with a disability that requires at-home medical care. The care she needs is extremely expensive, and if not for GoFundMe donations, she would be institutionalized. For many in similar situations to Alice, medical care needed is often out of reach, leading people with disabilities

Doctors and healthcare professionals should not be steering their patients toward a decision that harms them in an irreversible way.

Money and Discrimination Key Reasons Patient Pressured Toward Assisted Suicide Roger Foley is a Canadian man who is being pressured to die by assisted suicide. His disability requires consistent care and he will continue to require medical assistance as his condition is degenerative. Mr. Foley wants to keep living and receive care that is specified

Doctors Avoid Patients with Disabilities, Putting Many at Risk of Assisted Suicide In the healthcare system, it does not take much to see that it is broken and disparities in care are prevalent. A recent article demonstrates this fact by telling the findings of Dr. Iezzoni at Harvard. She conducted anonymous research on a sample

Assisted Suicide Advocates Okay with Euthanasia for Infants It is no secret that Canada’s assisted suicide legislation, Medical Aid in Dying [MAiD], has seen rapid expansion since its implementation in 2016. In 2019, the Government of Canada determined that assisted suicide would be accessible to all those with “intolerable suffering” (i.e. those with physical disabilities).