The family of an 83-year-old Canadian woman is raising concerns after she was euthanized under Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program despite previously telling relatives that she did not want the procedure because of her Christian faith.
Brigitte Stegemann, known as “GG” to her family, died on July 10 at a long-term care facility in Belleville, Ontario, after being diagnosed with Stage IV stomach cancer. According to her family, she had expressed a desire to die naturally and had declined MAiD when it was previously discussed.
The family says concerns emerged after facility staff continued discussions about MAiD while Stegemann’s granddaughter, who had served as her primary caregiver and legal advocate for more than a decade, was away. They questioned whether Stegemann was capable of providing informed consent, citing her hearing impairment, periods of unresponsiveness, and confusion during the assessment process.
Read more here.