Sue Rodriguez Biography

Susan Jane "Sue" Rodriguez (née Shipley; born August 2, 1950 – died February 12, 1994) was a Canadian right to die activist. In August 1991, she was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) and was given two to five years to live. She ultimately made the decision to end her life and she sought the assistance of a doctor to that end. However, none would help her; under section 241(b) of the nation's Criminal Code, anyone who "...aids or abets a person to commit suicide, whether suicide ensues or not, is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years". Rodriguez sought a legal exception in her home province, British Columbia, but was denied.