Man, 26, euthanised because he was diabetic and blind

A “vulnerable” young man in Canada who did not have a terminal illness has died by euthanasia.

Kiano Vafaeian, 26, who suffered from type 1 diabetes, partial blindness and depression, was approved by the government for euthanasia despite the protests of his mother, Margaret Marsilla.

She said his death on Dec. 30, which had been prevented in 2022 under Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAid) program, was “disgusting on every level.”

Ms Masila wrote in a social media post earlier this month: “This is not health care. This is a failure of ethics, responsibility and humanity.”

“No parent should have to bury their child because the system and doctors chose death over care, help or love.

“I promise I will do everything I can for my son and for other parents who also have children with mental illness.”

Euthanasia was introduced in Canada in 2016, initially for terminally ill adults with severe and incurable physical illnesses that caused intolerable suffering.

In 2021, the terminally ill requirement was removed to include people with chronic illnesses or disabilities.

Experts say the widening of eligibility has led to a surge in deaths, raising concerns about an increase in similar deaths in Britain, where a bill on assisted dying is being debated in the House of Lords.

Canada now has one of the highest euthanasia rates in the world, accounting for one in 20 all deaths.

By 2027, the government plans to extend the scheme to people with mental illness but no physical illness.

Although many Western countries, including Australia, Belgium, Spain and Switzerland, have legalized assisted dying, the issue remains deeply divisive on ethical, religious and legal grounds.

Key debates center on how to balance individual autonomy with the protection of vulnerable groups.

UK healthcare bodies have expressed serious concerns about the definition of “terminal illness” and safeguards against coercion in the current bill. A November poll found that more medical professionals opposed the draft legislation than supported it.

The fastest-growing category of assisted dying in Canada is not those with terminal illnesses, but those labeled as “other.”

Sonu Gaind, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, told the Free Press that the number of MAiD deaths in Canada in the “other” category almost doubled between 2022 and 2023, to 4,255.

In September 2022, Ms. Masila discovered that her son had been scheduled for physician-assisted death. The then 23-year-old had recently lost sight in one eye, was unemployed and had no plans for the future.

When she raised awareness about her planned surgery online, doctors faced backlash and refused to perform the surgery.

Ms Masila said of the incident: “He is alive because people stepped in when he was vulnerable – he was unable to make a final, irreversible decision.”

She also claimed Wafaian’s mental health was improving before his death. She said he had agreed to accept her financial support, was saving money for them to travel together and took part in personal training sessions.

“He’s happy that he’s working out and getting healthy,” she said.

On December 15, Vafaian flew to a luxury resort in Mexico, checked out after two nights and flew to Vancouver. On December 29, he texted his family that he expected to die via medical assistance the next day.

Ms Masila said she planned to hold her son’s MAiD doctor accountable, who she claimed managed to find a loophole in the system and “sanctioned his death on the basis of mental illness” even though it was not yet legal.

Wafaian’s death certificate listed “pre-existing causes” as blindness, severe peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage that causes pain and numbness) and diabetes.

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