There was a sudden feeling of guilt and shame when I realised I should have brought Mrs MacNeil a farewell gift. Maybe some flowers or a teddy bear. It would have been a thoughtful gesture. After all, this was going to be our final farewell.

I was making a house call to see my favourite 93-year-old patient living in a seniors residence in Toronto. We had bonded over the last few years, and it felt more like a close-knit friendship than a professional relationship.

We enjoyed joking around and talking about the beauty of life and all the wonderful places on our lovely planet, and the beautiful people. We also spent a lot of time talking about Nova Scotia, where we both used to live.

This was going to be our last visit. She was about to receive medical assistance in dying, which we refer to as MAID in Canada.

When a cherished dog or cat is old, sick and suffering, we “put them down”. The technical term is euthanasia, which comes from the Greek word “euthanatos”, literally meaning “a good death”. We euthanise our beloved pets because we don’t want them to suffer, and we want them to die with dignity.

In 2016, the Parliament of Canada passed federal legislation allowing eligible adults to request medical assistance in dying, essentially legalising euthanasia for human beings to allow for “a good death”.

It was decided that, like our precious animal friends, we should have the right to avoid suffering and die with dignity when there is no chance of reasonable alleviation of a disease or condition, or of sustaining one’s quality of life.

The legislation effectively acknowledged that death is a part of life that should be discussed and even tenderly embraced at the appropriate time. It gives adults of sound mind the option to dismiss the notion of “raging against the dying of the light” as depicted in Dylan Thomas’ famous poem “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night”.

Mrs MacNeil was a proud and independent woman who wanted to remain in control of her body, her health and her life. It was her wish to exit this world on her own terms. She was intelligent and competent, and she understood her medical condition precisely.

Her health was deteriorating due to several debilitating and incurable diseases, including cancer. She knew her health would soon worsen dramatically. Sadly, she had been feeling especially unwell for over a year, and it became impossible to sufficiently lessen her suffering.

So, she had had enough. Her health care providers, including myself as her primary physician, her friends and her relatives all supported her carefully measured decision to end her life with comfort and with dignity. After all, it was all about her.

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