Husband of woman failed by Canadian health care system thanks Glenn Beck for intervening: 'You've opened up a lot of doors'

Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck and his team, now working in conjunction with elements of the Trump administration, are in the process of rescuing a Canadian woman failed by her country's socialist health care system and led into thinking the only remedy for her painful living-nightmare might be state-facilitated suicide.

The day after Canadian state media did its apparent best to frame the American intervention as "political posturing" and a "distraction from the real issues," the Saskatchewan woman's husband expressed his profound gratitude to Beck for his efforts to help Jolene Van Alstine.

'If it was me, I think I would have had a gun to my head long ago.'

Miles Sundeen, speaking on Thursday to Beck in what became a tear-filled episode of "The Glenn Beck Program," said at the outset, "First of all, I just wanted to say thank you so much. Apparently you're a very popular guy. You've opened up a lot of doors."

"It's been a long and very arduous journey. It's been over eight years now that Jolene has been very ill. We've gone through very tough times trying to get help through our health care system; long, long wait times both to see specialists, to get a diagnosis initially, and then, of course, to wait times for surgeries as well," said Sundeen. "The problem is, of course, as this disease continues to devastate her body, it becomes worse and worse as time goes on."

Van Alstine has a rare parathyroid disease called normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism, which causes nausea and vomiting and draws calcium from the bones into the blood, resulting in extreme bone pain, weakened bone density, and fractures. According to Sundeen, Van Alstine's immobilization by the disease has also resulted in other conditions, namely diverticulitis and osteoporosis, not to mention "mental damage."

While she has undergone multiple surgeries in hopes of addressing the disease, she still requires a specialized procedure to remove her overactive parathyroid gland.

The trouble is that there is presently no surgeon in her province able to perform the operation. While she could potentially receive the surgery elsewhere in Canada, Van Alstine has indicated that she must first obtain a referral but cannot secure one as none of the endocrinologists in her region are accepting new patients.

RELATED: Glenn Beck works to save pain-racked Canadian woman left at euthanasia dead end by broken socialist health care system

L: Alla Gnidenko/Getty Images; R: Blaze Media

Sundeen suggested that the endocrinologists and specialists aren't necessarily to blame, noting that the Canadian health care system is "just absolutely overwhelmed."

While Sundeen suggested that mismanagement is the system's top problem, he noted that the system has also been "completely devastated" by underfunding and the huge influx of immigrants into the country.

According to the 2021 census, 23% of people living in Canada were foreign-born and 2.5% — over 924,000 — were nonpermanent residents. A government report released on Nov. 26 indicated that the 2021 census actually missed 38% of nonpermanent residents in that count. The top three national origins of the immigrants flooding into Canada under the Trudeau Liberal regime were India, Philippines, and China. Pakistan and Iran also made the top-10 list of national origins.

The sudden surge in demand on citizen resources helped strain a system that was already set for a reckoning with a graying population.

The apparent failure of the health care system is especially frustrating for Sundeen, who told Beck that "with this surgery, the parathyroid symptoms will disappear."

"She can get back to an almost-normal life as far as the parathyroid hormone goes," added Sundeen.

'We'll get it done.'

After years of pain and little evidence that her nation's strained health care system will get around to helping her, Van Alstine started the process of joining the tens of thousands of other Canadians who'll be killed under the government's Medical Assistance in Dying euthanasia program, which has in recent years become one of the top five causes of death in Canada.

George Carson, a MAID approval doctor, confirmed this week that he assessed Van Alstine and provided her with his approval.

Sundeen stressed to Beck, however, that "she wants to live."

"But when your life is absolutely stolen from you — stolen from you for eight years, and you suffer so much pain, depression, and anxiety — I love her with all my heart," said Sundeen.

"She's a strong girl. If it was me, I think I would have had a gun to my head long ago."

— (@)

Beck emphasized to Sundeen that neither he nor his wife was alone.

"We'll find a way to make this happen if it is at all possible. We pray for you. There are millions of people who are praying for you now, and we'll do everything we can," added Beck.

Beck indicated that he has been in contact with elements of the Trump administration, and there appears to be some movement on getting Van Alstine help in America.

He noted that a "very high-level administrative official just called and said, 'Let's save her life. We'll get it done.'"

Beck has personally volunteered to fly her down, put her up, and set her up to meet some doctors.

Visibly moved by his conversation with Sundeen and fighting back tears, Beck noted that he hopes to be able to call him back with some "good news."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!