A Canadian grandmother, Brigitte Stegemann, also known as “GG” or “Oma,” was reported to be “covered in blood” during an euthanasia procedure that her granddaughter, Brigitte Kranendonk, claims was conducted without her consent.
Just two days before the assisted dying was to take place in Ontario, Kranendonk had a conversation with her grandmother to clarify what was going to happen. “She was really upset. Inconsolable,” Kranendonk recounted, saying she used direct language to explain, “Do you know that you’re going to die on Friday?”
Stegemann, 83, became visibly emotional, repeatedly stating, “I’ve made a mistake.”
Kranendonk further expressed concerns, revealing that during a cognitive assessment meant to verify Stegemann’s ability to consent for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), her grandmother seemed to struggle. Kranendonk contends that the MAiD professionals didn’t respect Stegemann’s vulnerable situation and proceeded without proper consent. Though the practitioners and the care facility have not publicly responded, they claim that Stegemann did consent.
“They’d never done MAiD at this care home before,” Kranendonk pointed out, noting that it was their first experience with such a procedure.
She described the event surrounding Stegemann’s passing as anything but peaceful.
Kranendonk had been caring for her grandmother for over a decade and had been her medical power of attorney for the last six years. Stegemann moved into The Pearl nursing home about 18 months prior to her death as her health was declining, diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer earlier in the year, with doctors suggesting she had six months to two years left to live.
Although Kranendonk had discussed the option of MAiD with Stegemann, her grandmother firmly stated, “No, I don’t want that.” Kranendonk attributes this reluctance to her grandmother’s Christian beliefs.
During a ten-day trip in June, Kranendonk received regular updates from the care home but was not informed of any significant decline in Stegemann’s health.
Upon her return on July 3, she was informed of a planned MAiD assessment due to her grandmother’s supposed health deterioration. When she inquired about the initiation of this discussion, a nurse responded defensively, which Kranendonk found concerning—“I’m just trying to advocate for her,” she emphasized.
After learning that an initial MAiD consultation had already taken place without her knowledge, Kranendonk expressed frustration and suspected she was excluded from the decision-making process. She questioned the claims of her grandmother’s rapid decline, saying that when she returned, Stegemann was still eating, walking, and engaging in lively conversation.
Kranendonk argued that Stegemann had never formally applied for MAiD and felt dismissed by the staff when she raised concerns about it. In the subsequent evaluation, she noted that the doctor avoided using explicit terms like “death” or “dying.” She was asked to leave the room, and shortly after, learned that the doctor had deemed Stegemann fit for MAiD and decided to proceed.
“I couldn’t believe she was given the go-ahead,” Kranendonk stated.
On July 10, family members spent time with Stegemann in the garden before the MAiD nurse unexpectedly brought them inside at 9:30 a.m., even though the doctor was not expected until 11.
Kranendonk alleged that the nurse began the IV without confirming Stegemann’s consent, struggling to find a vein and causing excessive bleeding. According to Kranendonk, the nurse poked her grandmother multiple times before switching arms and there was a “huge amount of blood” everywhere—on Stegemann’s arm, her nightgown, soaking through her pillow, and all over the sheets.
Kranendonk also claimed the nurse was not gloved during this process.
When the doctor arrived, she asked Stegemann if it was alright to administer “medicine,” to which Kranendonk reported her grandmother did not respond at all.
“My Oma isn’t moving. She doesn’t open her eyes. She doesn’t nod or say anything,” Kranendonk recounted, recalling that the doctor decided to continue regardless.
Stegemann was pronounced dead within ten minutes, and Kranendonk asserted that the MAiD paperwork was filled out afterward. She also mentioned that The Pearl has refused to provide access to her grandmother’s medical records.
“I was in the dark,” she said.
In the end, Stegemann reportedly died during the procedure with her hands clasped in prayer. Now Kranendonk is seeking answers from various authorities, including Ontario’s Chief Coroner’s Office and the local police, regarding the events that occurred at The Pearl care home and the legality of the procedure.
