The device, called a Lympha Press, is designed to move the fluid in her legs. She spends at least five hours a day tied to the machine, unable to do anything else — including caring for her two children, ages nine and 13. She also wears compression garments 24 hours a day.
This, combined with the fact she has been fighting the provincial Health Department in court for two years, has pushed the Halifax woman to the brink.
"I can't go on living like this," Brady said.
Brady, a dietitian and occasional columnist for CBC's Information Morning Halifax, has lymphedema. It's a disease that causes an accumulation of fluid and can result in painful swelling, increased risk of blood infection, cellulitis and hardening of the skin. In her case, it's a side-effect from having her lymph nodes removed during a radical hysterectomy to treat cervical cancer.
In June, Brady applied for medical assistance in dying (MAID). Following intake, the MAID team brought her case to the attention of clinical lead Dr. Gord Gubitz, who then wrote a letter addressed to the special adviser to the Minister of Health and Wellness. Brady shared the letter with CBC.
"I have reviewed dozens of atypical MAID requests, but have never found myself in the position of writing a letter such as this," wrote Gubitz on July 7.
"In my experience, people do not request MAID unless their life circumstances have become so dire that it is the only option. To request a MAID assessment is not an easy thing for most people; to do so when one is only 46 years old, otherwise healthy, and has two children at home is almost unthinkable."
In the letter, Gubitz said Brady satisfies all federal criteria for medically assisted death except for one — that the medical condition underlying her request is irremediable. He said there are clear options for care that have been identified and should be explored.
"Your office can make this happen," he wrote to the province's health department.
The care Brady is seeking is surgery that is covered by Nova Scotia's Medical Service Insurance (MSI), but no one in the province provides it and Nova Scotia has denied her request for out-of-province care.
Brady's battle for medical care is well-documented through an ongoing judicial review she filed in July 2022 in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia to get reimbursement from the province for her medical care and better care options for people in her position. Final arguments were made in March and both parties are still waiting for a decision.
"I can't even imagine what their lawyers' fees will be at the end of the day to fight me and prevent me from getting treatment," she said.
Brady's lawyer said the consequences for Nova Scotia patients are "life and death."
"Saying no to treatment and surgeries ... has very high stakes and very real life consequences to people like Ms. Brady who can't wait forever to obtain the medically required treatment that they need to lead their lives," said Richard Norman.
Were gonna fuck you over, and were gonna put you down when its done and take any organs or tissues that are still viable. Thats compassion.
What fucking shocks me, and I mean this is where I just cant comprehend what canadians are thinking, and ive lived here 10 years now. Yeah you fucked me over, just put me out of my misery.
My plan is to go lay down on the step of wcb or some politicians house when im in my deaththrows, seriously.
Ive tried so hard to get help, ive begged, ive been pricked a hundred times. Im done, these people can fuck off. Im not waiting hours for a chance to maybe see someone.
Although its nice seeing the local retards start to realize whats happening, but at this rate they will be dead before they figure anything out.
https://np.reddit.com/r/halifax/comments/1fjoc5y/a_halifax_woman_has_spent_years_fighting_for/
This is deplorable. A mother of two, 46 years old, and she is applying for MAID because of what is a bureaucratic decision. Isn’t the first oath of a physician to “do no harm?” Maybe our administrators for health should take the same one! Beyond disgusted.
It's sad, especially since the surgery only cost her 60k in Japan. That's actually super reasonable and many people in the province run up bills in the 100s of thousands for their conditions. I worked in oncology and many drugs were 100k a year and people would take them for years. Can we just get this lady a gofund me or something?
The province has almost definitely paid more in legal costs fighting this, than the $60,000 she's requesting reimbursement, Buncha crooks, I tell ya
So fucking ridiculous. Taxpayers paid for this lady’s torture.
Can almost guarantee the lawyers fees will end up being ten fold what she’s seeking. Fucking abhorrent system and a joke of a country.
The MAID program seems to have a side benefit as a mechanism to advocate for possible care not offered by the province.
This person gets it lmao.
If wcb had helped me, when I first begged them for help, when I first started actively seeking medical help for the refrigerant poisoning. I would likely be fine.
Instead, they just yanked me around, lied about it when they realized they fucked up, painted me as crazy (thats what really gets me man, really upsetting). Now here I am I am fucking dying from parathyroidism, and no one will even do a fucking basic 24 hour urine collection test.
Fuck these retarded faggots. I guarantee they spent way to much money on investigations, and manhours for my case, shoulda just fucking helped me in the first place you simple retarded ass dumb shit crooked criminal cock sucking piece of cowdung ass fucking dolittle duncecap wearing dipshits.
This person is a moron.
The current government was brought to power by the people because their no.1 promise was they WILL FIX the health care. After all these years, they fixed nothing. Its still the in the same bad shape as earlier.
Lmao, all that the dumbass of a premier has done is implement virtual care and mobile clinics. They do not provide the same standard of care, or followups as a walkin does.
Let alone a family doctor to support you through the long term stuff. This idiots policy's are forcing doctors to leave the family doctor profession because its just not worth the long hours for little pay. But I guarantee his doctor gets paid a little extra for taking care of the politicians.
I suffer every day because of whats happening to me, no one gives a flying fuck. If I was a female, or gay, or black, or haitian, maybe someone might give a fuck then.
What a sad sorry world we live in.