Parents Say Canada's Assisted Dying Laws Killed Their 26-Year-Old Son
The parents of a 26-year-old man are speaking out against Canada's medical assistance in dying (MAID) laws. They say the system failed to protect their "vulnerable" son from being euthanized despite a history of mental illness.
Kiano Vafaeian was euthanized on December 30, 2025, in British Columbia. His family says he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 4. He began struggling with mental health after a car accident at 17.
His mother, Margaret Marsilla of Ontario, said his depression was often seasonal. But he became "obsessed" with MAID after losing vision in one eye in 2022.
"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."
What MAID Is
MAID was legalized in Canada in June 2016. The law allows patients with "grievous and irremediable" medical conditions to request a lethal drug that is either physician or self-administered to end their lives.
In 2021, eligibility expanded to include applicants with "grievous and irremediable conditions" whose deaths are not reasonably foreseeable. That's called "Track 2."
What Happened in 2022
In 2022, a Toronto doctor initially approved Vafaeian's request. The family launched a public pressure campaign on social media voicing their opposition. The outcry led the doctor to withdraw approval.
While Vafaeian was initially angry, his family said he showed signs of improvement over the following year. Even moved in with them in 2024.
"He tried his best when he was in one of those good highs of life," Marsilla said. "Then winter, fall started coming around, he started changing and then everything that we had worked for from spring and summertime just disappeared… he would start talking about MAID again."
How He Got Approved
The family said Vafaeian was rejected by multiple doctors in Ontario before he sought out Dr. Ellen Wiebe, a prominent MAID provider, in British Columbia.
Marsilla believes Wiebe "coached" her son on what to say to meet the criteria for Track 2 patients.
"We believe that she was coaching him... on how to deteriorate his body and what she can possibly approve him for and what she can get away with approving him for," Marsilla said. "Because if he had spoken back in 2024, and he was a good candidate for approving MAID, she would have done it right away, but she didn't."
Vafaeian's parents say they weren't notified of the approval. They only learned of his death days after it occurred. They noted his medical records didn't substantiate the "severe peripheral neuropathy" listed on his death certificate as a qualifying factor.
"This whole process came to us as a shock," said Joseph Caprara, Vafaeian's stepfather.
Dr. Wiebe's Response
Dr. Wiebe said in a statement, "Like my colleagues, every patient I approve for Track 2 has unbearable suffering from a grievous and irremediable medical condition (not psychiatric) with an advanced state of decline in capability and consents to MAID fully informed about treatments to reduce the suffering."
What the Family Wants
The family is now advocating for the repeal of the Track 2 provision. They want passage of Bill C-218, a legislative effort to restrict MAID for patients whose underlying issue is solely mental illness.
"Realistically, safeguards for patients would be reaching out to their family members, giving them a whole bunch of different treatment options," Marsilla said. Instead, she claims the current system allows doctors to approve and euthanize patients within 90 days on Track 2.
"How is that safe for patients?" she asked.
Marsilla has shared her son's story on social media, describing the situation as "disgusting on every level."
On Facebook, she wrote, "No parent should ever have to bury their child because a system—and a doctor—chose death over care, help, or love."
Caprara said their family hopes sharing their story will expose the risks these laws pose to the "vulnerable and disabled" and give states and other countries pause before implementing similar legislation.
"We don't want to see any other family member suffer, or any country introduce a piece of legislation that kills their disabled or vulnerable without appropriate proper treatment plans that could save their lives," he said.
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