Ottawa | Arab Canada News

John Fowler, the son of the late Canadian Mrs. Gloria Taylor, who inspired the legislation of the "Medical Assistance in Dying" (MAID) law in Canada, chose to end his life voluntarily through the MAID program, affirming his desire to “die with dignity and on his own terms,” after a long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Fowler, 53 years old, died last weekend after receiving legal approval for medical assistance in dying, following years of personal resistance and denial of this option, before his stance changed after his health deteriorated.

A touching story spanning two generations

His mother, Gloria Taylor, had become a symbolic figure in Canada in the fight for the right to death with medical assistance when she waged a historic legal battle against the federal government before her death in 2012. Her case contributed to the issuance of a Supreme Court decision in 2015 that paved the way for the enactment of the MAID law in the country.

In a moving farewell message, Fowler told his family and friends: “The time has come. My mother fought for this right, and I am today exercising it with the same conviction she believed in. I am not escaping death; I am taking control of it.”

Community and legal reactions

His death sparked mixed reactions in legal and medical circles, with some considering it “a true embodiment of the right to choose,” while others called for enhancing psychological and social support for patients with chronic illnesses to reduce their reliance on the option of assisted dying.

Dignity in Dying advocacy organizations confirmed that Fowler’s case represents an important development in Canadian society’s awareness of the suffering of patients facing debilitating neurological diseases.