Editor:
Re: Welcome Heron Hospice Society of Delta (letters, Optimist)
I challenge Chris Colero's comment that “DHS supported only one segment of Delta residents - those who opposed MAiD.”
This is just untrue. All patients wishing MAiD who were at home or in the hospice were offered information on MAiD, counselling support, help in accessing the MAiD Coordinating Team, assessment for eligibility, and family grief support following the death.
The other curious comment is regarding, “services being offered by an organization that follows the laws of the land.”
The leadership of the Heron Hospice Society are the board members who voted in MAiD among themselves, yet under the law, they were required to have the membership approve such a decision, which they did not. The same board members voted in MAiD without changing the Constitution's purposes. This action is also against the law under the BC Societies Act and DHS could have lost its status as a society.
The current DHS board was compliant with Bill C-14 which required reasonable access.
It is not the law to provide MAiD. DHS was compliant with the BC Societies Act law by refusing to provide MAiD because it is not allowed under the current Constitution. It was compliant with its Service Agreement with Fraser Health which only contracted services for Palliative Care. It was nothing to do with not being inclusive.
DHS did not start a series of legal actions. The previous board members did.
In my opinion, I am completely baffled that a society cannot refuse potential members who do not want to encourage and support the values, well-being and success of an organization. How does any society protect its assets and values from a group with a different mandate who decides to take it over?
These comments are typical of the false accusations against DHS that have misinformed so many. It appears the Heron Hospice Society has copied the DHS constitution and wants to try to duplicate the services DHS is providing.
This action appears to be the intent all along after being voted off the board. It was the old board members that tried to “stack the deck” as they were in control of the meeting and membership.
Please stop battering and disrespecting DHS.
Think of the vulnerable people in need that are confused about what is going on.
Dying should not be a political battle or competition, which it seems it has become.
Nancy Macey
