Warning: This story contains sensitive subject matter. Discretion is advised.
The wife of a man who sought assisted death following a disastrous emergency room stay in Quebec is accusing the healthcare system of negligence.
On Monday, Sylvie Brosseau spoke publicly as a coroner’s inquiry began into the death of her longtime partner, Normand Meunier, who died last year.
Normand Meunier is pictured with his partner of 25 years, Sylvie Brosseau. A public inquiry is now examining the circumstances surrounding his death.
Courtesy Sylvie Brosseau
Meunier, a 66-year-old quadriplegic, spent four days on a stretcher in the emergency room at Saint-Jérôme Hospital, northwest of Montreal, in January 2024.
He developed severe pressure sores during that stay — a complication that ultimately led him to choose medically-assisted death.
“It was horrifying,” Brosseau said through tears during the hearing. “The last two weeks of his life were unbearable.”
In his opening statement, coroner Dave Kimpton extended his condolences to Meunier’s family. He will hear from more than 30 witnesses in an effort to understand how Meunier’s condition deteriorated so drastically under hospital care.
Meunier had been paralyzed in 2022 after collapsing at home and undergoing surgery. A former truck driver, he was described by Brosseau as energetic and full of life before his injury.
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Following his paralysis, he suffered recurring complications which led to repeated hospitalizations. “Each time, we had to ask for the special mattress which never arrived.” she said.
During his final ER visit, Brosseau said she repeatedly asked hospital staff to provide the adapted mattress. Despite her pleas, it never came. The sores on his buttocks were so severe that the bone and muscle were exposed.
“It was horrible. He had no buttocks. There was nothing left,” Brosseau said.
She said with months of extremely painful recovery ahead, Meunier decided to proceed with medically-assisted death. He died on March 29, 2024.
“Failure to follow proper medical protocols can be the difference between life and death,” said Brosseau’s lawyer, Patrick Martin-Menard.
The first to testify included a Sûreté du Québec investigator, a nurse, and a physiotherapist who had cared for Meunier in his final months. Several disability rights advocates also attended the hearing.
Meunier during a camping trip. The couple had planned to travel and marry before his health took a turn.
Courtesy Sylvie Brosseau
“You are not supposed to die from a pressure sore — it should be preventable,” said Mark Beggs of MÉMO-Québec, an advocacy group for people with spinal cord injuries
Martin-Menard added, “I really hope this prompts a broader reflection on how our healthcare system serves [certain vulnerable] patients.”
Witness testimony is scheduled to continue through next week, with five additional days set for June. Sylvie Brosseau is scheduled to take the stand on May 15.
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