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Dec 9, 2025
101-Year-Old Woman Chooses Medical Aid in Dying to 'Close the Loop on Life,' Calling the Option a 'Wonderful Gift'
101-Year-Old Woman Chooses Medical Aid in Dying to 'Close the Loop on Life,' Calling the Option a 'Wonderful Gift'
PEOPLE.com
She called the option a "really wonderful gift" and admitted that she was "looking forward to it"
A 101-year-old woman opened up about her decision to end her life with medical aid in dying.
Paulette Fiset-Germain -- a mother of three from Quebec, Canada -- spoke to Le Journal de Quebec and explained that she had always lived a very active and independent life. However, her health started to decline last year after suffering two falls and a stroke.
"It started when I fractured my hip and I was no longer able to do anything," she told the outlet.
"I started having difficulty using the walker, I have one hand I can't use, the other I struggle with, I can't see out of one side. I've reached the end of my rope," she said. "You know when the glass starts to spill, it's time to do something. Besides, you're struggling 24 hours a day, you're not sleeping. We're going to close the loop."
Recognizing how much she was struggling, Fiset-Germain spoke to her family doctor and a specialist about wanting to end her life using medical aid in dying (MAID).
The choice was available to her under Canada's MAID legislation, which went into effect in June 2016. The law allows patients with terminal illnesses to end their lives with lethal medication either taken themselves or administered by a physician or nurse.
"I've had a good life," she said. "I loved life so much. I gave a lot, but I received a lot. There aren't many people who have had all the love and respect I've had in my life. I don't know of any enemies."
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On Nov. 27, Fiset-Germain shared her decision to die with staff and residents at Manoir Cap-Santé, the retirement home in Quebec where she lived.
"I received excellent care here and I am very happy to spend my final days here and die in my bed," she said.
The announcement was met with mixed feelings from those closest to her.
"It saddens us, but we respect her decision," Guylaine Dufres
