>>189957, >>189958, >>189959, >>189960, >>189961, >>189962, >>189963, >>189964, >>189965, >>189966, >>189967, >>189968, >>189969, >>189970, >>189971, >>189972, >>189973, >>189974, >>189975, >>189976, >>189977, >>189978, >>189979, >>189980, >>189981, >>189982, >>189983, >>189984, >>189985, >>189986, >>189987, >>189988, >>189989, >>189990, >>189991
When asked if she had any siblings, she said she had none—though she was the second-youngest of 14 children. She also said none of her siblings were still alive, even though some were and she had spoken with one the previous week.
She became disoriented, began to cry, and said, “I forgot about the grandkids,” confusing her living siblings with her great-grandchildren.
The family corrected the vast majority of her answers and the granddaughter objected directly, questioning how Stegemann could possibly be deemed capable of consenting to her own death.
The physician explained the procedure in language the family found euphemistic and misleading for an elderly woman of Stegemann’s background, describing it as receiving medication, feeling peace, falling asleep, and promising she “would not lose control of her bowels.”
The family was then ordered to leave the room.
The power-of-attorney holder’s request to remain was denied. When the physician emerged, she stated flatly, “I have deemed her capable of making her own decisions,” and informed the family that Stegemann had consented.
The procedure was scheduled for July 10.
The family was left “shocked and distressed.”
They later discovered that the death date had been set before any official MAiD application paperwork was completed. Facility staff, including the home manager, then filled out and witnessed the forms themselves without notifying the power of attorney, despite the family’s daily visits.
On July 8, the date was briefly advanced by a full day simply because the physician had an opening in her schedule. The home manager admitted she had personally completed the paperwork.
On the morning of July 10, the family took Stegemann outside to the patio for fresh air and a scoop of her favorite strawberry ice cream while waiting for her pastor to arrive.
Her clear wishes to be surrounded by family and to have her pastor present were treated as secondary to the schedule.
After returning to her room, an intravenous line was inserted amid what the family described as a significant, alarming amount of blood covering Stegemann, the bedding, and the surrounding area. When the physician arrived, Stegemann remained silent, her hands held in a prayer position, and gave no verbal response.
The family had been strictly assured that Stegemann would be asked for a final, explicit verbal confirmation on the day of the procedure to ensure she still wished to proceed.
“Tragically, we were left alarmed and horrified when the clinical team completely ignored her silence and carried the procedure forward regardless,” their statement said.
Stegemann was dead shortly afterward.