Cabrini joins challenge to new right-to-die law

As the Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) Act takes effect in New York on Wednesday, Aug. 5, Cabrini of Westchester in Dobbs Ferry is one of 13 Catholic institutions involved in a lawsuit against New York State officials over the law, which allows terminally ill patients access medication that accelerates death. The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, operators of the Rosary Hill Home in Thornwood, are also part of the lawsuit. 

The MAID Act, which Gov. Kathy Hochul signed in February, lays out a process for terminally ill patients to request a drug, which they must self-administer, for the purpose of ending their life. The law includes provisions to ensure that the person is mentally competent to make the request, and is not being coerced by someone who stands to benefit, financially or otherwise, from the person’s death.