Are you lonely? Please don't choose MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying).

It was disappointing to hear the news state that the Federal Government was going to permit MAID for psychogical disorders in the future and that people suffering from lonliness had chosen MAID. Where has the Hippocratic Oath of doing no harm flown to? How is killing a person at their request a solution for lonliness? How can a person suffering from a psychological disorder make a sound decision? I know that Christmas is a difficult time for many people. Just recently the Director from a community centre said that they were seeking volunteers to visit people living in isolation. Now that is a wonderful, caring step. Of course they would require a police check, or should have one. Vulnerable people need to be protected not killed at their request. If you are thinking suicide, don't be dissolutioned by the coldness you may see in others. People in general mean well. They do try to help, but sometimes the most simple quick solution is picked rather than the most caring. People need to feel valued, respected and loved regardless of their circumstances. This Christmas I am asking those who are lonely to reach out. Reach out to your priest, your neighbours, your communities and your physicians but never accept anything less than an option to feel wanted. We are all born the same. Of course circumstances are different. Some of us have wonderful upbringings with oppotunities and some of us have the opposite. As adults we are a consequence of all that has happened to us, but we have choices. Seek help, if you need it. There is no shame in that, it requires courage and I know you have it in you somewhere. Search for it. There is no reason to rid yourself of a life you were meant to have because you are lonely. You can also start your own support group. If you live in the country, there is zoom. Make sure that any group you do reach out to is one of hope and not one that encourages the worse - especially suicide. There are people out there who wish the worse on others, a reflection of themselves. You need to find people who make you feel good about yourself. But remember that you need to do a bit of work to find the best in yourself. I wish you a happy Christmas this year with hope for a new beginning, a positive beginning. So if MAID is offered to you, please say no. Open your heart and your soul for something more because you deserve it.