The Story of Sue Rodriguez

Sue Rodriguez is 41. She is the mother of a seven-year-old son. She is separated from her husband. She discovers she has Lou Gehrig's disease, ALS, in August 1991.

Sue tries various cures and meets with other victims of the disease. By April 1992 she has decided to commit suicide but has not decided when. Sue Rodriguez knows there is no cure for her disease and she could spend a long time dying. She feels she has a right to commit suicide, with the help of a doctor, at a time of her choosing. She wants to die before there is no quality left in her life. She wants to decide when that is.

She knows she will not have the physical strength to commit suicide and so she will need help. She also expects to be fully aware and able to make the decision. In April 1992 she begins to look for a doctor who will help her commit suicide.

She does not want her son to remember her as completely helpless and out of it. She does not want endless, boring, painful days when she has no control. She does not want to break the law. She decides to spend the rest of her life trying to get the law changed for herself and others.

She meets John Hofsess of the Right to Die Society in August 1992. He believes people should be able to choose when to die and to have help if necessary. He wants to publicize Sue's story to help her and to get the law changed.

Sue decides to go public with her request for legally assisted suicide. She hires a famous lawyer, Chris Considine, in October 1992. Soon Sue is on national television and is interviewed by the newspapers. She is interviewed many times about her disease. They ask her why she wants to commit suicide and why she wants a doctor to help.

Sue loses her first court battle for the right to physician-assisted suicide in the B.C. court in January 1993. She becomes friends with Svend Robinson who is the lawyer of the Right to Die society and a Member of Parliament.

Hofsess has been working with Sue to publicize her case but now she is very weak, can't write anymore and can barely talk. He writes a letter to a Vancouver paper and signs her name without consulting her. He says he is sure he knows what she would like to say. Sue is furious. By doing this he proves how dangerous it is to give anyone power to act for another person. He makes the case much harder to win.

Sue goes to court three more times and loses every time. There are always some judges for and some judges against. The last decision was announced on Sept. 30, 1993.

She has some supporters. There are also many people who argue against her. When her case goes to trial, many churches, some groups of handicapped people and an organisation of doctors all tell their opinions. So does her lawyer, the Right to Die Society and the Governments of Canada and B.C.

People who don't agree with her also write her letters and write about her in the newspapers. They often hurt her. They say personal things about her. They often say they don't want anybody to think they agree with her.

On February 11, 1994, Sue commits suicide at her home with morphine and sleeping pills. An unnamed doctor and Svend Robinson are present.

Sue got all of Canada talking about her case. Because of her case the Government of Canada will have to debate the issue. They may decide to make a law allowing assisted suicide.