Woman considering MAID because she can't access treatment in Canada

A woman in Saskatchewan, Canada, is considering Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) because she cannot get the surgery she needs to combat her rare disease.

Key Takeaways:

• Jolene Van Alstine needs a surgery to alleviate pain and symptoms from parathyroid disease, but she is unable to find a surgeon in her home province of Saskatchewan.

• In order to get the surgery out-of-province, she needs a referral from an endocrinologist — and none are taking new patients.

• Feeling hopeless, she applied for MAiD and was approved for a January 7 death.

• U.S. political commentator Glenn Beck has promised to help Van Alstine get the surgery she needs, but she currently does not have a passport to travel to the United States.

The Details:

Jolene Van Alstine suffers from parathyroid disease, a rare disorder.

According to the National Post, Van Alstine experiences "abdominal pain, extreme bone pain and fractures caused by normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism. The rare form of parathyroid disease also causes daily nausea and vomiting, overheating, and anxiety and depression caused by social isolation."

“Every day I get up, and I’m sick to my stomach and I throw up, and I throw up. It takes me hours to cool off, I overheat, we have to turn the temperature down to 14 degrees [Celsius; about 57 degrees Fahrenheit] when I get up in the morning in the house,” Van Alstine explained in an appeal to the provincial legislature November 25. “I’m so sick, I don’t leave the house except to go to medical appointments, blood work or go to the hospital.”

Van Alstine's condition is treatable, but no one in the Saskatchewan area is able to complete the complex surgery she needs. She could see a surgeon outside of her province, but in order to do so, she would need a referral from an endocrinologist — and currently, no endocrinologists are taking new patients, so she cannot get a referral.

The situation has left Van Alstine and her husband, Miles Sundeen, feeling hopeless. Van Alstine applied for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), and was approved for a MAiD death on January 7.

In the meantime, Van Alstine and Sundeen are hoping her story gets the attention of Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill, who could potentially arrange for Van Alstine to get surgery.

“I’m urging Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill to meet with Jolene, to hear her story and commit today to get her the surgery she needs. Nobody should be forced to choose between unbearable suffering and death. No family should be put in this position,” said Jared Clarke, the Saskatchewan NDP’s shadow minister for rural and remote health.

Zoom In:

Following the publication of Van Alstine's story in various news outlets, U.S. commentator Glenn Beck weighed in, vowing to help Van Alstine so that she doesn't feel that her only option is death.

“If there is any surgeon in America who can do this, I’ll pay for this patient to come down here for treatment. THIS is the reality of 'compassionate' progressive healthcare,” Beck said in a post on X. “Canada must END this insanity and Americans can NEVER let it spread here.”

In an interview with Beck, Sundeen tearfully explained that Van Alstine doesn't want MAiD, but is feeling left with no other options.

"She wants to live," he said. "But when life is absolutely stolen from you for eight years and you suffer so much pain, depression, and anxiety — I love her with all my heart, and I will do anything to get her the help she needs if it's out there and available."

Beck also posted that though there are surgeons willing to perform Van Alstine's surgery, she doesn't have the passport needed to enter the U.S., though he is still working to gain her access to the States.

“Jolene does not have a passport to gain legal entry into the U.S., but my team has been in touch with President (Donald) Trump's State Department. All I can say for now is they are aware of the urgent life-saving need and we had a very positive call.”

The Bottom Line:

Van Alstine's inability to get the health care she needs is, unfortunately, not unusual. In numerous instances, Canadian citizens have reported being offered a MAiD death when all they really needed was adequate medical treatment. This is yet another instance demonstrating that when death is viewed as a legitimate, legal option, it often becomes the only option given to vulnerable populations.

Dig Deeper:

• Woman recounts grandmother's euthanasia: 'She thought she was a burden'

• Man chooses MAiD after he is unable to get adequate healthcare

• Individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities euthanized over loneliness

• Numerous veterans are being offered MAID in Canada, according to new testimony