Organ Harvesting from Euthanasia Victims By Charles Taylor (Florida)
Many people may not know what is happening up in Quebec, Canada, but is something out of a horror movie. Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), became law in December 2015. And, not to waste anything, this scheme has been linked up with organ donation, with those being knocked off often being organ harvested. In the last five years, organ donations have tripled, with 15 percent coming from victims of MAiD. Martin Bouchard, the recently appointed executive director of Transplant Quebec, sees MAiD as perfect for organ procurement: “Not only is this an opportunity to increase the number of organ donors in Quebec, but it’s also an incredible opportunity to allow more people to benefit from a transplant,” he said. “In addition to increasing the number of transplant recipients through their generous gesture, these people also lend meaning to their condition by saving other people’s lives.”
Hopefully this situation will not occur in other jurisdictions.
“Transplant Quebec’s annual statistical review for 2022 has revealed that organ donations in the province have tripled in the last five years, with a shocking number originating from those killed via Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD).
According to Transplant Quebec’s yearly report, the agency received “a record number” 854 referrals for organ donations in 2022, with a whopping 15 percent of which were sourced from victims of MAiD – a figure that represents a 130 percent increase when compared to five years ago.
“The practice of organ donation in a MAiD context is recent. It requires that significant adaptations be made to standard practices used by Transplant Québec and health establishments, notably by virtue of the fact that the donor is conscious and apt to give their consent,” said the Director of Nursing and External Partnerships at Transplant Québec, Sylvain Lavigne.
MAiD became legal in Quebec in December 2015 – and in all of Canada in 2016 – and the first two organ donations stemming from MAiD donors only occurred in 2017. Since then, these numbers have drastically increased, with 85 percent of MAiD organ donations coming from individuals who had been diagnosed with neurodegenerative or neurological diseases.
Further concerning those with pro-life convictions, this new method of sourcing organs is not exclusively limited to Canada, but is part of a growing trend in other countries that permit doctor-assisted death, including the Netherlands, Spain and Belgium.
Canada still tops the list however, with a September 2022 study published by the American Journal of Transplantation showing that of the 286 MAiD-related organ donations between these four countries, 136 of them occurred in Canada.
Despite euthanasia involving the intentional killing of a human being, Martin Bouchard, the recently appointed executive director of Transplant Quebec, said that he sees the increasing use of MAiD in Quebec as a great opportunity to increase the number of organ transplants.
“Not only is this an opportunity to increase the number of organ donors in Quebec, but it’s also an incredible opportunity to allow more people to benefit from a transplant,” he said. “In addition to increasing the number of transplant recipients through their generous gesture, these people also lend meaning to their condition by saving other people’s lives.”
Pro-life advocates and others however, have expressed their deep concern with MAiD and the impact the program will have on how healthcare is administered in Canada.
Last January, Angelina Ireland, president of the pro-life Delta Hospice Society (DHS), warned LifeSiteNews that the moral hazard posed by the increase in MAiD-related organ donations is even further exacerbated considering the program targets those in society who most need protection.”
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