Brigitte Stegemann's granddaughter says the 83-year-old cried and said she had 'made a mistake' two days before her death
By Rachel del Guidice
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 800-273-TALK (8255).
The family of an 83-year-old Canadian woman is demanding answers after she died through the country's medical assistance in dying program despite allegedly becoming distraught when told the procedure would end her life and showing signs of cognitive decline, according to a report.
The Daily Mail reported Sunday that an 83-year-old Christian grandmother, Brigitte Stegemann, was killed under Canada’s physician-assisted suicide program, called Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), on July 10.
Her granddaughter, Brigitte Kranendonk, said that she was her grandmother’s primary caregiver and that her family had decided to place Stegemann at The Pearl care home in Cannifton due to physical and mental decline.
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| Brigitte Kranendonk gestures with her grandmother Brigitte Stegemann. (Family Handout) |
But according to Kranendonk, her grandmother still had a good appetite even following a stomach cancer diagnosis, and rejected the idea of using MAiD when it was presented as an option.
Everything changed, however, in June when Kranendonk left to go on a 10-day road trip with her husband.
Kranendonk said she remained in regular contact with the care home and was told her grandmother had fallen and would need a wheelchair, but said she was not initially alerted to any dramatic decline.
Canada's medical assistance in dying program is under scrutiny after an 83-year-old care home resident allegedly showed cognitive decline and distress before her euthanasia death. (iStock)
Then, on July 3, near the end of her trip, Kranendonk said she received a call informing her that the home planned to arrange a MAiD assessment for Stegemann, despite her grandmother previously telling her that she did not want an assisted death.
Kranendonk said, according to The Daily Mail, that when she returned, she asked a nurse at The Pearl about who had initiated the MAiD conversation.
"The nurse became very abrasive, very defensive," Kranendonk told The Daily Mail. "She was like, ‘Well, I’m just trying to advocate for her. I’m just trying to do what’s right for her.’"
After returning from her trip, Kranendonk said she found out her grandmother had already had her first MAID consultation.
The granddaughter also alleged that Stegemann struggled during an assessment of her mental capacity, incorrectly answering questions about members of her own family.
The Daily Mail reported Sunday that an 83-year-old Christian grandmother, Brigitte Stegemann, was killed under Canada’s physician-assisted suicide program, called Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), on July 10. (iStock)
Kranendonk said she was present for Stegemann's second MAID assesment, and said that the doctor used "really loose terms, never using the words death or dying."
"She explains MAID to my grandmother by saying: 'We’re going to give you medicine, you’re going to feel at peace. And I just want you to know that you won’t have a bowel movement,'" Kranendonk said.
When Kranendonk interjected and said, "She doesn’t understand what you’re saying," the doctor allegedly looked at Stegemann and said, "We’re going to make sure you won’t have any more pain."
According to a doctor, Stegemann was "deemed fit for MAID, and we're going to proceed," The Daily Mail reported.
Kranendonk said that two days before Stegemann's death, she asked her grandmother directly whether she understood that the scheduled procedure meant she would die.
An elderly resident sits with a walker at a nursing home. (Getty Images)
According to Kranendonk's account to the outlet, Stegemann began crying and said she had "made a mistake."
Stegemann was allegedly told by the doctor her grandmother could "deny" MAiD on the day of the procedure, but Stegemann was already unsure if her grandmother had actually consented to it, did not want to cause her more stress, and wanted to enjoy what could be the last few days she had left with her grandmother.
During the procedure, Kranendonk said the nurse who was administering the IV was not wearing gloves and had a hard time putting it into her right arm, piercing her grandmother many times, which resulted in "blood all over the place."
The doctor then came and told Stegemann she was there to give her "medicine," which she did not respond to.
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| Brigitte Kranendonk sits with her grandmother Brigitte Stegemann. (Family Handout) |
"My Oma is not moving," Kranendonk said. "She doesn't open her eyes. She doesn't nod. She doesn't say anything, and the doctor just said: ‘Okay, well, I'm going to proceed.’"
Kranendonk said her grandmother was dead within 10 minutes.
Kranendonk said she wishes she would have applied for a legal injunction to stop the MAiD from occurring, but also said she was not aware she had the option.
She is appealing to the Chief Coroner’s Office in Ontario, as well as the Patient Ombudsman and Belleville Police, to investigate if what happened was legal.
According to the BBC, Canada’s MAID law, which legalized euthanasia in 2016, is responsible for one in every 20 deaths in Canada.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Kranendonk said, "My grandmother was a vulnerable senior who was let down when the doctors and home bypassed every safeguard put in place to protect her — from assessing her mental capacity, to getting her clear, final consent before acting and the home filling out paperwork and having her sign when we were not there, and giving us copies. I will not stop until there is a full investigation into how this was allowed to happen behind closed doors."
Brigitte Kranendonk hugs her grandmother Brigitte Stegemann. (Family Handout)
Mira Metter, Director of "Broken Country," a film about the decline of the country over the last two decades, said in a statement to Fox News Digital, "What is particularly troubling about this case is that it raises questions Canadians should be asking about whether MAID’s safeguards are protecting vulnerable people as intended."
Metter added, "A compassionate healthcare system should ensure that when someone is at their most vulnerable, every reasonable avenue for care and support has been explored before death is presented as an option. MAID may be legal in Canada, but legality cannot be the end of the conversation."
Laura Echevarria, National Right to Life's communications director and press secretary, told Fox News Digital in a statement, "Euthanasia and assisted suicide cross a line medicine should never cross: from caring for patients to intentionally ending their lives. The most vulnerable among us deserve protection, compassion, and care—not death presented as medical treatment. No safeguard can undo a mistake once a patient is dead."
Fox News Digital reached out to The Pearl and Belleville Police for comment but did not immediately hear back.
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Family sounds alarm after 83-year-old grandma dies under Canada's assisted-death program
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