A 45-year-old Canadian woman who sought assisted suicide due to an unmanageable medical condition may receive life-saving treatment in the United States, thanks to conservative commentator Glenn Beck.
Jolene Van Alstine has suffered for eight years with normocalcemic primary hyperparathryoidism, a rare endocrine disorder that causes severe nausea, vomiting, and calcium leaching from bones. This condition leads to excruciating bone pain, weakened bones, and fractures.
“I haven’t left the house in eight years except to go to the doctor for blood work or to be admitted into the hospital,” Van Alstine stated in a recent interview.
Last year, she spent six months hospitalized. She is currently in Regina, Saskatchewan, for “bowel issues.”
Van Alstine’s life has been extremely difficult. She described feeling isolated and having no hope: “My friends have stopped visiting me. 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.”
She has undergone three surgeries but requires a specialized procedure that no Saskatchewan surgeon is qualified to perform. Currently, there are no endocrinologists accepting new patients in her province.
After giving up all hope, Van Alstine applied for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), Canada’s physician-assisted suicide program. Parliament legalized the practice for terminal illnesses in 2016 and has expanded it since.
Her partner, Miles Sundeen, said: “I understand how long and how much she’s suffered and it’s horrific, the physical suffering, but it’s also the mental anguish. No hope — no hope for the future, no hope for any relief.”
On November 25, Van Alstine spoke to the Saskatchewan legislature and met with provincial Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill. The Ministry of Health confirmed the meeting occurred but declined to comment on details.
After her story gained attention online, Glenn Beck stepped in. On Tuesday morning, he announced he would personally pay for Van Alstine to travel to the U.S. if any American surgeon expressed willingness to treat her. He later reported that “surgeons were standing by” and his team was in contact with both Van Alstine and Sundeen.
However, an Atlanta specialist who volunteered initially declined to proceed. Neither Van Alstine nor Sundeen has a passport. They are now working with a clinic near Tampa, Florida that believes they can perform the surgery.
Beck’s team contacted the State Department to expedite passports for the couple. In a statement, Beck said: “All I can say for now is they are aware of the urgent life-saving need and we had a very positive call.”
Van Alstine has also received referrals from three Canadian clinics in the past week. She previously thought she had two approvals for MAiD but only secured one.
“I would be so happy if we could go to the U.S. to do the surgery,” she told reporters. “I would have my life back. But if it doesn’t work out, I’ll go through with MAiD.”
The situation has highlighted concerns about Canada’s healthcare system: A reporter noted that “it should not take someone with the clout of Glenn Beck to make sure any Canadian can get medical help.”
