Grieving parents demand changes after son (26) was euthanized in Canada.

“No parent should ever have to bury their child because a system—and a doctor—chose death over care, help, or love.”

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, 

Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

I have written several articles about the euthanasia death Kiano Vafaeian. Kiano was killed by Dr Ellen Wiebe on December 30, 2025. On February 5, we published a 15 minute interview with Kiano's mother Margaret Marsilla (Article Link).

Yesterday, the New York Post published an article by Kristine Parks explaining that Kiano's parents are committed to repealing Track 2 euthanasia deaths in Canada. 

Track 2 refers to euthanasia approvals for people who are not terminally ill but rather have a "grievous and irremediable" medical condition. The terms "grievous and irremediable" are not defined in the law.

Parks explains:

The grieving parents of a 26-year-old man are speaking out against Canada’s medical assistance in dying (MAID) laws, arguing the system failed to protect their “vulnerable” son from being euthanized, despite a history of mental illness.

Kiano Vafaeian was euthanized on Dec. 30, 2025, in British Columbia.

Parks reports how Marsilla describes her son's condition

His family says he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age four and began struggling with mental health after a car accident at 17.

His mother, Margaret Marsilla of Ontario, said his depression was often seasonal, yet 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.”

Kiano was originally approved for euthanasia and scheduled to die on September 22, 2022 after a doctor approved Vafaeian’s request, at the MAiDHouse, a euthanasia clinic in Toronto. The family launched a public pressure campaign on social media to prevent the death of their son which resulted in the doctor changing his mind.

Marsilla told Parks that her son was initially angry about not being euthanized but then things improved and in 2024 Kiano was living with his parents. But then in the fall of 2024 he started talking about euthanasia again. Parks reports:

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 — those whose natural deaths are not reasonably imminent.

Vafaeian’s parents say they were not notified of the approval and only learned of his death days after it occurred. They noted his medical records did not substantiate the “severe peripheral neuropathy” listed on his death certificate as a qualifying factor.

Kiano's mother and stepfather told Parks:

“This whole process came to us as a shock,” said Joseph Caprara, Vafaeian’s stepfather.

In 2021, eligibility for MAID was expanded to include applicants with “grievous and irremediable conditions” whose deaths are not reasonably foreseeable.

The family is now advocating for the repeal of this “Track 2” provision and the 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 wrote on facebook that:

“No parent should ever have to bury their child because a system—and a doctor—chose death over care, help, or love.”

Parks continues:

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.

Parks reports Dr Ellen Wiebe's response:

“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.”

Petition: We demand a review of Dr Wiebe's (MAiD) euthanasia practise (Link)

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition supports Kiano's parents, Margaret Marsilla and Joseph Caprara's direction and we share in the grieving of their son.

More articles about the euthanasia killing of Kiano Vafaeian:

• One mother's mission (video). Her son was killed by euthanasia (Article Link).
• Tragic euthanasia death of young man with mental illness (Article Link).
• 23 year old scheduled for euthanasia remains alive (Article Link)