Toronto hospital denies potential life-saving surgery on religious grounds

TORONTO - Nicole Ottaway is a young woman with a rare, serious disease — so rare, in fact, that it took doctors years to finally make the diagnosis. Ottaway has Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a genetic disorder that affects the connective tissue, caused by a defect in the synthesis of collagen. The incurable disease affects the digestive and cardiovascular systems, causes spinal deformities as well as a wide range of other symptoms. In light of her disorder, Ottaway, 30, has made the decision not to have children. For three years, she searched for a doctor willing to perform a tubal ligation operation. She was turned away. Most doctors refused to perform the surgery because of her age. Others were reluctant to do it because of her complex medical history. Finally she found a doctor who’d do it. The first appointment went well. Then the doctor’s office phoned with the bad news. The doctor only had operating privileges at St. Joseph’s Hospital — and they wouldn’t allow a sterilization procedure to take place there because they’re a Catholic hospital.

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/10/05/toronto-hospital-denies-potential-life-saving-surgery-on-religious-grounds