A 94-year-old woman from Steinbach, Manitoba, is seeking medical assistance in dying (MAID) but has been unable to access it due to legal and systemic barriers, according to her family and advocacy groups.

Marion Penner, who suffers from chronic health conditions rather than a terminal illness, falls under Canada’s Track 2 MAID eligibility, which requires additional assessments, including consultations with specialists.

Her daughter, Valerie Penner, said that multiple physicians declined to engage in MAID discussions, citing personal discomfort, and that obtaining the required specialist input has proven extremely difficult in their region.

Frustrated by the lack of access, Marion has chosen to stop taking certain medications, including heart treatment and antibiotics, in an effort to hasten her death.She remains hospitalized far from her home community and faces a long wait—estimated at 18 months—for placement in a non-hospital care facility.The relocation has added emotional strain, as she is now isolated from her social network and familiar surroundings.

The situation has drawn criticism from the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (ARCC), which argues that Manitoba’s 2017 legislation allowing physicians to opt out of providing MAID information creates harmful barriers.The group is calling for the law’s repeal, describing it as unjust and contributing to patient suffering.

The provincial government maintains that access to MAID remains available through centralized coordination by Shared Health, regardless of where patients initially seek care.

However, data indicates that Manitoba denies MAID requests at a significantly higher rate than the national average and has relatively few providers, particularly outside Winnipeg.

Marion’s case underscores broader concerns about equitable access to assisted dying services in rural and underserved areas, as well as the practical impact of conscientious objection policies on patient care.