Quebec’s Court of Appeal has ruled that a Montreal hospital can permanently remove a breathing tube from a child who has been in a coma since he fell into the family pool in June.
In the decision dated Tuesday, the province’s high court affirmed a November Superior Court ruling that permitted the Sainte-Justine hospital to go ahead with the procedure despite the parents’ objections. The boy’s parents appealed the Superior Court ruling.
The three-judge appeal court panel unanimously ruled that the lower-court decision — while “difficult and heartbreaking” — respected the rights and best interests of the child and that the parents’ refusal was unjustified.
“The principle of preserving life at all costs is not absolute when the conditions for maintaining life are unacceptable,” the high court wrote.
Montreal’s Sainte-Justine hospital went to court after the parents of the five-year-old boy refused to consent to the extubation unless the hospital was willing to restore the breathing tube should things go wrong. The parents said they recognize that removing the tube is necessary, but they said they didn’t want the procedure to be fatal.
The boy has been in intensive care since he was submerged in a pool for between 15 and 20 minutes on June 12. Evidence presented in court showed he suffered serious and irreversible brain damage.
Doctors have said since June 16 that the boy is breathing on his own and that the tube is doing more harm than good. The child, doctors have said, should receive end-of-life care if the extubation is not successful.
Patrick Martin-Ménard, the lawyer representing the family, says his clients are disappointed with the high court ruling but have also shown a great deference to the judicial process.
“Now the family is studying its options as to what comes next,” Martin-Ménard said in an interview Wednesday, adding that his clients could let the decision stand or seek leave to appeal the case to the Supreme Court of Canada.
Quebec Superior Court Justice Bernard Jolin wrote in his Nov. 1 ruling that the parents’ objections were not in the child’s best interest and were based on the hope that God would miraculously return the boy to the way he was before he fell into the pool.
The appeal court ruling said the boy’s prognosis is “grim” and that he suffered “serious consequences from which he will never recover.” His life expectancy is estimated to be at most five years, the court added.
The hospital argued that removing the tube would allow the child to return home and receive physical therapy; delaying the extubation, doctors said, would limit the chances of that happening.
The appeal court decision cited testimony before the Superior Court from experts who said it would be the child’s severe neurological damage and not the extubation process that would end his life. “Unfortunately, when it occurs, death will be the inevitable consequence of severe irreversible neurological damage to the child and not the removal of the mechanical ventilation device,” the high court wrote.
“Extubation being only the manoeuvre which will confirm whether his condition is compatible or not with life.”
The boy is still connected to the breathing device, seven months after the accident.
In a statement, the Sainte-Justine hospital welcomed the ruling, which affirmed that its health plan for the child is in his best interest.
“The time to extubate the child will be determined by considering the wishes of the family,” hospital spokesperson Justine Mondoux-Turcotte said in an email.
“The hospital centre remains sensitive to the tragedy that the family is going through and will continue to support it during this difficult time.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 18, 2023.
PARIS (AP) — The French transport minister is expected to meet with cycling associations on Monday following the death of a cyclist in Paris after a dispute with a driver.
The 27-year-old cyclist, Paul Varry, was allegedly deliberately run over last Tuesday by an SUV driver, who now faces preliminary charges of murder. The incident has sparked protests across France, with demonstrators calling for safer roads for cyclists and an end to “motorized violence.”
Varry, a dedicated advocate for urban cycling, was known for his work improving cycling infrastructure in Saint-Ouen, a northern suburb of Paris. Hundreds gathered on Saturday to honor him, including cycling groups like Paris en Selle, which vowed to continue his fight for safer roads.
Transport Minister François Durovray, in a post on X, expressed his deep sympathy for Varry’s family and said that cyclists “have a place on the road,” vowing to address safety concerns. He called Monday’s meeting an opportunity to listen and act on behalf of France’s cycling community, which has been shaken by Varry’s death. The tragedy has reignited national debates on road safety and cyclist protection as France sees an increasing number of cyclists in its urban centers.
Alexis Fremeaux, co-president of the French Federation of Bicycle Users, said that “Paul’s death, killed by a motorist in Paris, has resonated deeply.
“It stirred such emotion because this kind of murder is exceptional. But the violence that cyclists face on the roads today — every cyclist has experienced it. Whether it’s threats, being put under pressure, being endangered, or even deliberate collisions — every cyclist has a story to tell.”
Cycling advocates hope that Varry’s death will spark action and lead to What they say are long-overdue reforms to improve road safety.
ZURICH (AP) — Canadian national team captain Jessie Fleming, former U.S. national team captain Becky Sauerbrunn and Netherlands forward Vivianne Miedema are among more than 100 women’s soccer players who have signed an open letter protesting FIFA’s sponsorship deal with Saudi Arabian state oil giant Aramco.
The letter calls the deal, which includes sponsorship at the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, “much worse than an own goal,” citing Saudi Arabia’s record on the rights of women and LGBTQ+ people and the impact of Aramco’s oil and gas production on climate change.
“As well as funding the Saudi regime, Aramco is one of the biggest polluters of the planet we all call home. In taking Aramco’s sponsorship, FIFA is choosing money over women’s safety and the safety of the planet — and that’s something we as players are standing against, together,” Fleming said in comments via campaign group Athletes Of The World.
Fellow Canadians Erin McLeod, Emma Regan, Samantha Chang and Nyla Peterkin also signed their names to the letter.
Sauerbrunn voiced concern for women who are imprisoned in Saudi Arabia.
“The safety of those women, the rights of women, LGBTQ+ rights and the health of the planet need to take a much bigger priority over FIFA making more money,” said Sauerbrunn.
The letter calls on FIFA to replace Aramco “with alternative sponsors whose values align with gender equality, human rights and the safe future of our planet,” and to give players a voice on the ethical implications of future sponsorship deals.
“This letter shows that as players this is what we don’t want to stand for and accept within women’s football. It’s simple: this sponsorship is contradicting FIFA’s own commitments to human rights and the planet,” Miedema said.
FIFA’s deal with Aramco was announced in April as part of ever-closer ties between Saudi Arabia and world soccer’s governing body. FIFA is expected to confirm Saudi Arabia as host of the 2034 men’s World Cup in December. It is the only candidate for the tournament.
“FIFA values its partnership with Aramco and its many others commercial and rights partners. FIFA is an inclusive organisation with many commercial partners also supporting other organizations in football and other sports,” world soccer’s governing body said in an emailed statement Monday, adding that commercial revenue is reinvested into developing women’s soccer.
Metro is expanding its Moi Rewards program into Ontario later this week after rolling it out in Quebec and New Brunswick last year.
It’s the latest loyalty program launch as they become an increasingly important strategy for retailers to attract and keep customers.
“Now we’re bringing our own program that’s had a success in the Quebec market, and we think that’s going to bring more value to our customers,” said Alain Tadros, Metro’s vice-president and chief marketing officer and head of digital strategy.
Like many loyalty programs, Moi Rewards users will get personalized promotions and be able to redeem points to pay for purchases. The program officially rolls out on Oct. 24.
It’s also the first time that Metro’s discount banner Food Basics will have a loyalty program, the company said.
Customers will earn points just by shopping at Metro and Jean Coutu stores, but can earn additional promotional points through offers at Metro, Food Basics and Jean Coutu, said Tadros. He said there are a total of 277 Metro-owned grocery stores in Ontario and nine Jean Coutu pharmacies.
He said Metro’s app offers the lowest threshold for redeeming points at $4.
“It’s been a key to our success in Quebec, in getting our customers engaged in the program,” said Tadros.
Metro first introduced Moi Rewards in Quebec and New Brunswick in May 2023.
As part of the Ontario rollout, Metro is also partnering with RBC’s Avion Rewards. While in Quebec the company offered a Moi RBC Visa credit card, in Ontario they are offering card linking, meaning shoppers can earn additional Moi Rewards points by using an RBC card, including on purchases not made at Metro-owned stores, said Tadros.
“The RBC partnership allows customers to actually double dip,” he said, adding that the company plans to bring the card-linking option to Quebec as well.
The loyalty program marketplace is a competitive one, with all the major Canadian grocers offering some kind of program — not to mention offers from non-grocery retailers, as well as food and beverage chains.
A survey last year by Givex found that 57 per cent of Canadians belong to between two and four loyalty programs, and one in five respondents said they belong to at least five.
The Givex survey found that more than half of Canadians see grocery programs as the most valuable kind among them, and are particularly valued by lower-income households. A fifth of the respondents said they use rewards or points from a loyalty program when making a purchase about once a month.
Tadros said he hopes Moi Rewards’ lower redemption threshold and RBC partnership, among other attributes, will help it stand out among the competition.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
