The Latest Horror Story Out Of Canada’s ‘Free’ Healthcare System

The family of an 83-year-old devout Christian grandmother who opposed euthanasia said the elderly woman was killed through Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program, a process that was initiated while her family was on a brief scheduled vacation.

The family of Brigitte “GG” Stegemann said the grandmother strongly opposed euthanasia and told doctors she did not want to be killed after she developed Stage IV stomach cancer. Despite Stegemann’s objections, and the family’s objections, medical staff claim the grandmother consented privately to be euthanized while her granddaughter Brigitte Kranendonk, who was also her power of attorney, was on a brief scheduled vacation with her husband. Stegemann died through MAID a week later on July 10, notably without providing verbal consent, instead remaining silent and keeping her hands clasped in a prayer position.

Facebook: Brigitte Frances Kranendonk

A Facebook post published by the family outlines their experience with doctors, nurses, and staffers pushing MAID on Stegemann. The program is part of the nation’s “free” publicly-funded healthcare system.

When she returned from vacation, Kranendonk was told that the staff had “met privately with GG on two occasions during Brigitte’s 10-day vacation to discuss MAID.” When Kranendonk asked why these discussions were taking place after Stegemann explicitly objected to MAID because of her Christian faith, Kranendonk was met with anger and pushback. She said one nurse told her, “I don’t need to tell you anything.”

When Kranendonk asked her grandmother privately if she really wanted to be euthanized, Stegemann appeared “confused” and responded, “I’m going to die Friday? They’re going to kill me Friday?”

Still, the home where Stegemann was staying for supposed care went ahead with the procedure. The family was told Stegemann would give consent to be killed at the start of the process, but she did not. Stegemann was killed anyway.

“[The doctor] attempted to speak with GG. By this point, GG was silent, her hands tightly clasped together in a fixed prayer position,” the family wrote. “GG never provided a verbal response to Dr. K.”

“Our family had been strictly assured that GG would be asked for a final, explicit verbal confirmation on the day of the procedure to ensure she still wished to proceed,” the family added. “When GG remained completely silent and gave no response, Brigitte felt a sudden wave of relief and a big smile came over her face, believing that the procedure would finally be halted because the strict requirement for final consent had not been met. Tragically, we were left alarmed and horrified when the clinical team completely ignored her silence and carried the procedure forward regardless.”

The incident is fueling more criticism of the MAID program, which was legalized in 2016 and has dramatically expanded since, with the total number of assisted deaths set at roughly 100,000.

Critics of MAID argue about its ethics and the financial incentives for Canada’s publicly funded healthcare system, which can save money when patients are euthanized rather than receive long-term care. Notably, Canada’s Parliamentary Budget Officer estimated that the 2021 expansion of MAID under Bill C-7 would result in approximately $149 million in net healthcare savings in its first year.

Related: A Catholic Priest Walks Into A Canadian Hospital. They Offer To Kill Him, Twice.