On her final day, Risha Golby had to leave her familiar room at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver after a six-week stay. This room held her daughter’s artwork and provided some comfort during her pancreatic cancer treatment. Golby, 47, was transported via ambulance to an outpatient facility at Vancouver General Hospital, causing her family distress due to the discomfort in the process.
Once settled into a La-Z-Boy recliner, Golby’s family bid their goodbyes before a doctor administered medical assistance in dying, leading to her passing. Subsequently, the family was asked to vacate the room for cleaning. Golby’s sister, Ashley Freeman, expressed frustration at the policy that added unnecessary pain and distress to an already difficult situation.
Following Golby’s death in 2021, a clinical space near St. Paul’s was established by Vancouver Coastal Health to prevent such transfers. However, advocates argue that more needs to be done to avoid such situations.
St. Paul’s Hospital’s operator, Providence Health Care, cited privacy reasons for not commenting on the case but mentioned that their MAID policy aligns with their core values. Dying With Dignity Canada reported over 100 forced transfers annually in the country, with a Vancouver doctor overseeing 44 of them between 2016 and July 2025.
The debate over religious exemptions to MAID is ongoing, with Quebec being the only province not allowing faith-based institutions to opt out. A legal challenge in Montreal is contesting Quebec’s end-of-life legislation on religious freedom grounds.
In another instance, Jim McCaffrey, 87, had to transfer from Bruyère Health Élisabeth-Bruyère Hospital to Ottawa Hospital’s Civic Campus for MAID. Delays in the transfer process caused distress to his wife, Helen, as Jim’s agitation required increased medication to calm him down. Helen underwent grief therapy for two years following Jim’s traumatic passing.
Covenant Health, which operates faith-based hospitals, emphasized compassionate care despite not offering MAID. The organization’s stance on MAID aligns with its Catholic values, underscoring support for patients throughout their care journey.
The issue of faith-based hospitals restricting MAID is under legal scrutiny, as seen in the case of Samantha O’Neill, who faced challenges accessing MAID due to hospital policies. Advocates like Freeman hope such cases will drive legislative changes to ensure patients’ rights to a dignified death are upheld.