An 83-year-old Canadian woman, Brigitte Stegemann, was euthanised against her will at an Ontario care home despite failing a cognitive consent test, her granddaughter has alleged.
Stegemann, who suffered from stomach cancer and was a devout Christian, died on July 10 at The Pearl nursing home following what her family describes as severe procedural violations, the Daily Mail reported.
In Canada, medical assistance in dying has been permitted under federal legislation since 2016 for adults with severe and incurable medical conditions. Regulations mandate that patients must possess full decision-making capacity and grant voluntary consent prior to receiving life-ending medication.
Her granddaughter, Bridget Kranendonk, who served as her official legal power of attorney, said that two days before the procedure, Stegemann wept inconsolably for 45 minutes after learning the date and repeated that she had made a mistake.
During a cognitive evaluation intended to confirm her capacity to grant consent, Stegemann answered every question incorrectly, including asserting that her two living siblings were dead. Despite the failed assessment, a doctor declared her ready for the procedure.
A power of attorney is a formal legal agreement giving a designated representative authority over healthcare decisions. Cognitive evaluations are standard medical tools used to evaluate memory, orientation, and mental capacity before legal or medical actions proceed.
Allegations of procedural failure
Kranendonk stated that the end-of-life procedure was not quiet or peaceful. She reported that a nurse operating without protective gloves repeatedly failed to puncture a vein properly with a needle.
As a result of the botched needle insertion, Stegemann died covered in her own blood with her hands folded in prayer, according to her granddaughter.
Kranendonk stated that doctors took advantage of her grandmother's vulnerability to perform the procedure against her wishes. She has lodged formal complaints with the police, the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario, and the provincial patient rights ombudsman.
Ontario is Canada's most populous province, where healthcare operations and long-term care facilities are monitored by provincial regulatory bodies. The Office of the Chief Coroner conducts independent inquiries into unexpected or disputed deaths, while patient ombudsmen investigate grievances regarding healthcare standards.
Earlier case in Spain
The Canadian case follows a previously reported end-of-life controversy in Spain, where a 25-year-old woman suffering from depression became the first person with a mental health condition to be euthanised in the country.
Noelia Castillo Ramos, from the region of Catalonia, had been the victim of a gang rape and later survived a suicide attempt that left her with severe physical injuries and paralysis of her lower limbs.
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain with its own regional healthcare administration. Spain legalised medical assistance in dying in 2021, establishing a legal framework allowing adult patients with severe, chronic incapacitating conditions to request the procedure under medical review.
