A Saskatchewan woman is considering Canada's medically assisted suicide program because the province's healthcare system is failing her.Jolene Van Alstine has a rare parathyroid disease, known as normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism (nPHPT) — and it causes her to experience extreme bone pain, nausea, and vomiting.What's more, Van Alstine can't get the surgery she needs to remove her parathyroid — but there are currently no surgeons in Saskatchewan who can perform the surgery.Reported by Right to Life News, Van Alstine commented on her experience with the ailment, "My friends have stopped visiting me. I’m isolated. I’ve been alone lying on the couch for eight years, sick and curled up in a ball, pushing for the day to end”..“I go to bed at six at night because I can’t stand to be awake anymore."Van Alstine would have to go out of province for the surgery, however, she would first have to be referred by an endocrinologist, but no endocrinologists in the province are currently accepting new patients. The Shadow Minister for Rural and Remote Health in Saskatchewan has attempted to urge the province's Health Minister, Jeremy Cockrill, to “get her the surgery she needs.”"Nobody should be forced to choose between unbearable suffering and death," Jared Clarke added. "No family should be put in this position.”.Van Alstine has applied and been approved for the medical assistance in dying (MAID) program, come January 7 2026.CBC reported Cockrill met with Van Alstine last month."Due to patient confidentiality, we cannot comment on specifics of an individual’s case and outcomes," stated the minister's spokesperson. "The Government of Saskatchewan expresses its sincere sympathy for all patients who are suffering with a difficult health diagnosis."."The Ministry of Health encourages all patients to continue working with their primary care providers to properly assess and determine the best path forward to ensure they receive timely access to high-quality healthcare."
