Amy Hamm: How Long Before Canada Has a Suicide Helpline for Assisted Death?
The recent death of 26-year-old Kiano Vafaeian through Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) on December 30, 2025, serves as a stark warning about the direction Canada's euthanasia program is taking, according to commentator Amy Hamm. The case highlights growing concerns about the expansion of MAID eligibility in the country.
The Tragic Case of Kiano Vafaeian
Vafaeian, who had diabetes but whose natural death was not considered foreseeable, was able to access MAID through Vancouver physician Dr. Ellen Wiebe. The young man had reportedly been seeking multiple medical opinions before finding Dr. Wiebe, who agreed to administer the procedure.
Under current Canadian law, individuals with a serious and incurable illness, disease, or disability can apply for MAID under what is known as Track 2, even when their natural death is not imminent. This differs from Track 1, which is reserved for those with terminal illnesses and foreseeable natural deaths.
Controversial Physician and Family Opposition
Dr. Ellen Wiebe has previously attracted public attention for her willingness to euthanize patients. In 2024, a British Columbia judge issued an injunction to prevent her from administering MAID to a 53-year-old patient with akathisia, a highly treatable movement disorder. Court documents revealed that Wiebe had approved this patient for MAID after just a single Zoom consultation.
Vafaeian's mother, Margaret Marsilla, had successfully intervened in her son's previous attempt to access MAID in Toronto in 2022. After discovering an email confirming his approval for the procedure, Marsilla launched a social media campaign and online petition that ultimately led to the doctor postponing and then withdrawing approval.
Complex Medical and Personal Circumstances
The family has indicated that Vafaeian struggled with mental health issues and was facing criminal charges at the time of his death. According to reports, these charges included alleged indecent exposure while under the influence of drugs and an altercation involving his father.
Vafaeian spoke to media in March 2023 about diabetes-induced nerve damage in his hands and feet that caused pain during winter months, along with glaucoma-related eye pain. His family believes he may have been coached to emphasize diabetes-related nerve pain and other symptoms to qualify for MAID. Vafaeian informed his family of his scheduled death at a Vancouver funeral home just days before the procedure occurred.
The Looming Expansion to Mental Illness
Following two implementation delays, Canada plans to extend MAID eligibility to individuals with a sole diagnosis of mental illness beginning March 17, 2027. Hamm argues that when this expansion occurs, cases like Vafaeian's will become routine rather than exceptional.
The current Track 2 system already allows physicians significant discretion in determining eligibility, but the addition of mental illness as a qualifying condition could dramatically increase access to assisted death.
Professional Concerns and Implementation Challenges
Hamm, who worked as a nurse educator in psychiatry programs during previous attempts to implement MAID for mental illness, notes that the government had to introduce legislation twice to delay the expansion. Neither delay came as a surprise to many in the medical community.
Canada's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) was among the organizations urging the government to postpone the expansion. In November 2023, they wrote to the special joint committee on MAID stating that clinical guidelines, resources and processes are not in place to properly assess eligibility or differentiate between suicidal ideation and genuine requests for MAID when mental illness is the sole underlying condition.
Hamm concludes with a poignant question reflecting the concerns of many Canadians: What are we doing? She emphasizes that no mother should lose a son in this manner and that Margaret Marsilla's grief should serve as a cautionary tale about the slippery slope of assisted death legislation in Canada.
