Stéphanie Lavoie is seriously ill with Lyme disease and is exhausted from the fighting. Her condition does not improve despite the treatments she received in Mexico, and here she feels abandoned by the system, to the point where she has initiated the process of seeking medical assistance in dying.
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“The suffering is really made morally difficult by always being bedridden, being cared for 100% by other people and having no entertainment other than listening to podcasts and audiobooks. Being constantly in care is not a life for me or for the members of my family,” says the 29-year-old.
Screenshot | TVA News
“I understand it. I wouldn’t have fought so hard, I would never have gotten to where she is. I don’t know anyone who is as strong as her,” says her partner Michael.
Despite her condition and her cries for help, Stéphanie does not yet have a family doctor and the specialist clinic for Lyme disease has just told her that there is nothing they can do for her: “It’s stressful.”
Although the treatment in Mexico brought her some benefits, the young woman from Drummondville is still a long way from achieving an acceptable quality of life. “I’ve only been eating bananas for months. I lose weight every week, the last time I weighed myself I weighed 68 pounds.”
In a month the young woman will celebrate her 30th birthday.
Screenshot | TVA News
She still hopes that a new development will make her abandon her approach to medical euthanasia: “For me to change my mind, I would have to have hope of being supported on different levels. Firstly through the healthcare system and also by finding ways to get financial help so we can continue to engage and continue to move forward.”
To help him, a crowdfunding campaign was launched.