An 83-year-old Canadian woman whose family says she may have been euthanized despite no longer consenting died in a distressing scene after an initial attempt to administer the medication allegedly went wrong.
Brigitte Stegemann, affectionately called “GG” and “Oma” by relatives, had stomach cancer and was scheduled to die through Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program on July 10.
But two days before the procedure, her granddaughter and caregiver, Brigitte Kranendonk, asked whether Stegemann understood what was about to take place.
“I used very frank terms. I said: ‘Do you know that you’re going to die on Friday?’” Kranendonk told the Daily Mail.
Kranendonk said her grandmother appeared not to remember requesting assisted death. Stegemann reportedly cried for about 45 minutes and repeatedly said, “I’ve made a mistake.”
According to Kranendonk, Stegemann “got every question wrong” during a cognitive assessment intended to determine whether she was capable of consenting to physician-assisted death. She also allegedly said that two of her living siblings had died.
Despite those concerns, Kranendonk said MAiD providers proceeded on the scheduled date, taking advantage of what she described as her grandmother’s impaired mental state. She also alleged that the process was rushed and that no family member witnessed Stegemann sign the consent form.
The peaceful death Stegemann had reportedly been promised instead became chaotic, Kranendonk said. A nurse struggled to place the intravenous line needed to deliver the medication, puncturing Stegemann’s arm several times before attempting the other arm.
“There was a phenomenal amount of blood,” Kranendonk recalled through tears. “It is all over my Oma’s arm, it is all over her nightie, soaking through her pillow, all over the sheets, there is so much blood. And throughout all this time, mind you, the nurse is not wearing gloves.”
Kranendonk said a doctor later entered the room and asked Stegemann whether he could give her the “medicine.” She claimed Stegemann remained still with her eyes closed and did not respond.
“And the doctor just said, ‘OK, well, I’m going to proceed.’”
Stegemann was pronounced dead approximately 10 minutes later.
Her relatives are now seeking answers about the events at The Pearl care home in Cannifton and questioning whether the procedure complied with the law. The family has appealed to Ontario’s chief coroner’s office, the patient ombudsman and Belleville Police.
A Belleville Police spokesperson told the Daily Mail that the case remains open and is being investigated by the force’s Criminal Investigations Division. “We are unable to provide any additional information at this time,” the spokesperson said.
