害羞草研究所淗ello. This is Sally Scales. S-c-a-l-e-s. I害羞草研究所檓 in Salmon Arm and I am preparing to die tomorrow,害羞草研究所� said the message on the voice mail.

The message was left overnight Monday, July 3 at the Salmon Arm Observer office.

Sally was one of the more than 400 British Columbians to use the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) service since it became legal in Canada in June of 2016.

In her voice message, Sally said she was being blocked from using MAiD by her landlord because some tenants at Arbor Lodge seniors害羞草研究所� residence did not want it to happen there.

Her son Peter Scales telephoned the newspaper July 4 to explain his mother had been moved to Bastion Place care facility where the assisted dying would go ahead.

She died at 11:30 that morning, as scheduled.

Peter says his mother had been in favour of medical assistance in dying since 1993 when Canadian Sue Rodriguez, who was suffering from ALS 害羞草研究所� amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig害羞草研究所檚 disease, took her legal battle for assisted suicide to the Supreme Court of Canada. Although she lost her case in a 5-4 decision, she took her own life in 1994 with the help of an anonymous physician.

Peter says his mom remembered when Rodriguez asked, 害羞草研究所榃hose body is this?害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淪he said it害羞草研究所檚 my own body and I hope the law can change in time for me.害羞草研究所�

He recalls that later Sally read an article by an oncologist who said he hoped to die at 75. As former owner of the Lakeshore News, Sally then wrote a column stating she害羞草研究所檇 like to die at 85. Peter says people around town, including some from her church, told her quietly of similar wishes.

害羞草研究所淪he knew she wasn害羞草研究所檛 alone in wanting to die at her own time and of her own choosing.害羞草研究所�

Sally underwent open heart surgery 11 years ago, receiving a new valve and a quadruple bypass. At that time, 害羞草研究所渟he said again and again that she was never going through that again.害羞草研究所�

Peter said Sally watched both her brothers die and her mother die of heart attacks.

害羞草研究所淪he knew how the story was going to end.害羞草研究所�

The new valve Sally got worked well for about 10 years, but then it wore out 害羞草研究所渢hrough no fault of the medical profession.害羞草研究所�

Although she was offered another valve, she refused.

害羞草研究所淪he was done. She was 79. She didn害羞草研究所檛 make it to her 85th.害羞草研究所�

Her heart was operating at a maximum 20 per cent efficiency, so she was short of breath, 害羞草研究所榩uffing害羞草研究所� and anxious a lot, Peter says.

害羞草研究所淚t would scare her as maybe this was the time she was going to die.害羞草研究所�

As is required under the MAiD process, Sally filled out the application. She was assessed by a Salmon Arm doctor on June 23, says Peter. Then on June 28, a Revelstoke doctor assessed her in her room at Arbor Lodge. Later they agreed on a date of 11 a.m. July 4 to carry out MAiD in her room.

Peter says Sally was anxious about the paperwork.

害羞草研究所淭here was less than she probably imagined, but it害羞草研究所檚 certainly paperwork that needs to be done correctly. I think the whole MAiD community, the MAiD providers, are being appropriately extra careful. They don害羞草研究所檛 want to be seen as killing people, but rather ending suffering.害羞草研究所�

Did Sally ever have second thoughts?

害羞草研究所淣o, that wasn害羞草研究所檛 her style. She didn害羞草研究所檛 have second thoughts about anything,害羞草研究所� he smiles.

Peter says her family was supportive of her decision.

The only glitch was being informed on July 3 that she wouldn害羞草研究所檛 be permitted to die at Arbor Lodge, he says.

害羞草研究所淪he was so happy she could die in her home 害羞草研究所� which was Arbor 害羞草研究所� surrounded by her things.害羞草研究所�

Peter sees the lodge害羞草研究所檚 decision as hurtful.

害羞草研究所淚t seemed like when we wanted to deal with just our mom and our grief, we had this needless logistical detail that seemed really cruel.害羞草研究所�

A note to Sally from operations manager Christina Lutz stated, in part: 害羞草研究所淩espectfully, I do have to take into consideration the general feeling this sets about the house and the opinions of the other residents who live under this roof. Therefore, we will not allow this event to happen here and respectfully request that you find an alternate site.害羞草研究所�

Peter says his family scrambled on a long weekend to change locations and Bastion Place was very helpful in accommodating them.

Lutz reiterated in a telephone interview that some residents didn害羞草研究所檛 like the plan.

害羞草研究所淪ally was saying what was happening and the other people who lived here were not comfortable with it.害羞草研究所�

Lutz said the lodge was happy to have Sally as a resident for nearly a year.

害羞草研究所淪he brought spice and laughter and good feelings to our home and we wish the family well.害羞草研究所�

Sally害羞草研究所檚 three children 害羞草研究所� Peter, Richard and Linda, and three of her five grandchildren were present during her final hours.

He says a nurse and physician attended, the nurse inserting an intravenous (IV) line.

害羞草研究所淪he arrived and made sure that Sally was comfy and well-positioned on the bed. She stayed with Sally until the doctor was ready,害羞草研究所� Peter says.

Peter and his niece then watched the doctor prepare the syringes, labelling them to have them in the right order.

When it was time to administer the drugs, Peter and his niece left the doctor and Sally alone in the room.

害羞草研究所淢y mom was an old nurse; she said only professionals害羞草研究所�, the rest of you be somewhere else.害羞草研究所�

He said Sally害羞草研究所檚 family was allowed to go in after 12 minutes.

Peter describes MAiD as compassionate and efficient.

害羞草研究所淚 am so glad it was available. I think we were all glad害羞草研究所� We had watched mom suffer for far too long.害羞草研究所�

He said Sally thanked all the staff, but also asked them their life stories.

害羞草研究所淪he was true to form, right to the last minute.害羞草研究所�

Peter is a historian by occupation and one of his greatest personal interests is religion and beliefs.

害羞草研究所淚 think it害羞草研究所檚 a measure of a compassionate society,害羞草研究所� he says of assisted dying. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a tough moral quandary for each person and for society. Is it more compassionate to extend life or to end suffering? In Sally害羞草研究所檚 case she saw it as ending suffering, not ending life.害羞草研究所�

Peter says he害羞草研究所檚 grateful his family could prepare for Sally害羞草研究所檚 death and spend time with her, knowing what was coming. On the practical side, he says it allows families to put papers in order, to learn important details such as where the will is located.

Interior Health provides statistics for B.C.

From the start of MAiD in June 2016 to May 31 this year, the BC Coroner害羞草研究所檚 Service has recorded 66 MAiD deaths in Interior Health and 435 in B.C. IH states it cannot provide numbers of individual communities because of small numbers and privacy concerns.

IH also states there is no designated location where MAiD can occur. To date in IH, it害羞草研究所檚 been provided in individual homes, in hospitals, in residential care facilities and in hospice locations.

害羞草研究所淭here may be times, given this is still a relatively new service in IH and in B.C., where there are challenges in accommodating MAiD in a specific location害羞草研究所�,害羞草研究所� wrote an IH spokesperson in an email. 害羞草研究所淚n those cases, we would work with patients and families to find the best possible alternate location.害羞草研究所�

Trailblazing was not new to Sally Scales. Peter recounts a favourite memory of his mom害羞草研究所檚 nursing career.

When she came to Salmon Arm from St. Paul害羞草研究所檚 Hospital in Vancouver, he says, she discovered that all the nurses were wearing skirts and starched caps, rather than the more practical pants the St. Paul害羞草研究所檚 nurses were wearing.

Peter says the administrator shouted at her. He referred to the nurses as 害羞草研究所渉is girls害羞草研究所� and said he liked them in the uniforms.

害羞草研究所淭hat gave my mom her first crusade in Salmon Arm,害羞草研究所� Peter says. 害羞草研究所淪he hated being called a girl, especially by a hospital administrator. I think she might have taken it from a doctor.害羞草研究所�

In speaking publicly about medically assisted dying, Peter hopes his mother害羞草研究所檚 story will help reduce the stigma about death and MAiD.

害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e separate but interwoven. A lot of people have trouble talking, not necessarily about MAiD, but about death. It害羞草研究所檚 part of life and it害羞草研究所檚 inevitable.害羞草研究所�