Parents mourning the death of their 26-year-old son are now waging war against Canada’s medical assistance in dying (MAID) laws, alleging that the system failed to protect their “vulnerable” son and allowed doctors to euthanize him despite his clear history of mental illness.
Some may ask why events in Canada deserve attention here. The answer is simple. Progressives in the United States largely support medically assisted suicide and want similar laws enacted nationwide. California, in particular, is aggressively pushing to make that nightmare a reality. As a Catholic, I hold a pro-life view from conception to natural death. Life is a priceless gift from God, and every human person bears His image. Suicide is the murder of the self—an affront and direct assault on God Himself.
Beyond that, assisted suicide degrades human dignity and opens the door for progressives to implement death panels if they ever achieve government-run health care. In such a system, limited resources for serious illnesses will inevitably lead bureaucrats to decide who deserves lifesaving care based on perceived social value. MAID laws point directly toward that outcome.
Doctors euthanized Kiano Vafaeian, 26, on Dec. 30, 2025, in British Columbia. His parents say doctors first diagnosed him with Type 1 diabetes at just four years old, and that he began struggling with mental health issues after he suffered injuries in a car accident at age 17. His mother, Margaret Marsilla of Ontario, explained that her son’s depression often followed seasonal patterns, but intensified after he lost vision in one eye in 2022. At that point, she said, he became “obsessed” with MAID.
“He kept on emphasizing about how he could get approved,” Marsilla told Fox News Digital. “We never thought there would be a chance that any doctor would approve a 22- or 23-year-old at that time for MAID because of diabetes or blindness.”
Canada legalized MAID in June 2016. The law allows patients with “grievous and irremediable” medical conditions to request a lethal drug, administered by a physician or self-administered. It is difficult to see how Type 1 diabetes and blindness in one eye qualify as irremediable, given the many treatments available to manage both conditions. It appears far more likely that mental vulnerability led this young man to believe ending his life was the correct path.
That raises a critical question: why would a medical professional encourage someone to end his life when his conditions are manageable? Are Canadian doctors under pressure to reduce strain on an overburdened health care system? What is actually happening?
In 2022, a Toronto doctor approved Vafaeian’s request for MAID. His family immediately launched a public pressure campaign on social media to oppose the decision. As a result, the doctor withdrew approval. Although Vafaeian resented his family’s opposition at the time, his parents say he began showing signs of improvement over the following year.
“He tried his best when he was in one of those good highs of life,” Marsilla told Fox. “Then winter and fall came around, he started changing, and everything we worked for during spring and summer just disappeared… he would start talking about MAID again.”
Vafaeian again sought approval for MAID, but several Ontario doctors rejected his request. He then turned to Dr. Ellen Wiebe, a British Columbia physician known for providing MAID. Marsilla believes Wiebe coached her son on what to say to qualify under “Track 2,” which applies to patients whose deaths are not considered reasonably imminent.
“We believe that she was coaching him… on how to deteriorate his body and what she could possibly approve him for,” Marsilla said. “If he had been a good candidate in 2024, she would have approved MAID right away, but she didn’t.”
Shockingly, Vafaeian’s parents say no one notified them when doctors approved their son for MAID. They learned of his death days after it occurred. The family also noted that his medical records did not support the “severe peripheral neuropathy” listed on his death certificate as a qualifying condition.
“This whole process shocked us,” said Joseph Caprara, Vafaeian’s stepfather. The family is now fighting to repeal Track 2 by advocating for Bill C-218, which would restrict MAID for patients whose sole underlying condition is mental illness.
“Realistically, safeguards would include reaching out to family members and offering a full range of treatment options,” Marsilla said. She added that the current system allows doctors to both approve and carry out a patient’s death within 90 days under Track 2.
Marsilla has continued sharing Kiano’s story on social media, calling the situation “disgusting on every level.” In a Facebook post, she wrote, “No parent should ever have to bury their child because a system—and a doctor—chose death over care, help, or love.”
“We don’t want any other family to suffer, or any country to pass laws that kill the disabled or vulnerable instead of offering proper treatment plans that could save their lives,” Caprara said.
Dr. Wiebe released a statement defending her actions, saying, “Like my colleagues, every patient I approve for Track 2 experiences unbearable suffering from a grievous and irremediable medical condition (not psychiatric), has an advanced decline in capability, and consents to MAID while fully informed about available treatments.”
Meanwhile, New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an assisted suicide bill into law this week, making New York the 13th state—along with Washington, D.C.—to allow physicians to assist terminally ill adults in ending their lives. The law takes effect in six months.
Progressives continue to promote a culture of death in the United States. Help us fight back by exposing the truth about their plans. Join PJ Media VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member