Key Points:
26-year-old Kiano Vafaeian died via MAID in British Columbia on December 30, 2025
Ontario family says his suffering was mainly psychiatric, not terminal
He had earlier MAID applications rejected in Ontario before approval under Track-2 rules
Mother Margaret Marsilla and stepfather Joseph Caprara seek stricter safeguards
Physician Dr. Ellen Wiebe says all legal eligibility criteria and waiting periods were followed
Case reignites debate over Canada’s non-terminal assisted-dying framework
An Ontario family is calling for changes to Canada’s assisted-dying safeguards after Kiano Vafaeian, 26, received Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) in British Columbia on December 30, 2025.
His mother Margaret Marsilla and stepfather Joseph Caprara say the system failed to protect a vulnerable patient whose suffering, they believe, was primarily psychiatric rather than terminal.
Canada legalized MAID in 2016, and later expanded eligibility to include some patients whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable under the “Track 2” framework.
According to the family, Vafaeian lived in Ontario with Type 1 diabetes and significant vision loss but had struggled for years with depression following a teenage car accident.
They say he applied multiple times for MAID in Ontario and was refused. At one point a physician provisionally approved the request but later withdrew support after family members intervened.
Vafaeian later travelled to British Columbia, where he qualified under Track-2 eligibility criteria.
His parents say they were not informed in advance and learned of his death only days later through legal paperwork connected to his estate.
Marsilla and Caprara argue their son’s case highlights gaps in the system for non-terminal patients.
They allege:
his mental health drove the request more than physical illness
symptoms fluctuated and sometimes improved
existing assessments did not adequately protect vulnerable individuals
They now support tighter rules, including stronger psychiatric evaluation requirements and limits on assisted death when mental illness is a major factor.
The family emphasizes they are not opposing assisted dying entirely but want stricter protections for people who may still benefit from treatment and support.
Dr. Ellen Wiebe, the physician linked to the approval, has said patients must meet strict criteria, provide informed consent and undergo an assessment period of at least 90 days before Track-2 MAID is carried out.
Health authorities maintain the law already includes multiple safeguards and requires a grievous and irremediable medical condition, not solely psychiatric illness.
British Columbia officials have indicated experiences from cases like this may inform future policy review.
For Marsilla and Caprara, the issue remains personal. They say speaking publicly is meant to prevent similar situations and ensure clearer safeguards for families and patients navigating end-of-life decisions.
(Rh/ARC)
