My name is Chanpreet Purba and I am a Pharmacist working in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

I recently saw a City News story about a patient of my pharmacy, Amir Farsoud, who is choosing MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying) over homelessness. He lives in agony from a back injury that he suffered years ago.

Amir is a 54 year old St. Catharines resident and has passed the first hurdle of MAID. He qualifies for the MAID program as he deals with physical pain and agony that cannot be relieved. He requires one more doctor to sign off before he can choose death. He currently lives in a rooming house that is up for sale and he cannot find any other affordable housing. The current wait for affordable housing is 7 years.

I had the chance to visit his home after this story broke to have a sit down with Amir. He made it clear the he does not want to die but he would rather die in a humane way as opposed to dealing with the atrocities of homelessness which he believes will eventually lead to a horrific death.

The social system is failing Amir and this Go Fund Me is to help him bridge his time while he waits for affordable housing.

Let us do what we can for Amir to choose life.

Please watch his story below:

https://toronto.citynews.ca/video/2022/10/13/choosing-death-over-homelessness/