A Canadian family is speaking out after a 26-year-old blind man with diabetes died through physician-assisted suicide, three years after his mother had successfully stopped an earlier attempt.
Kiano Vafaeian died on December 30, 2025, under Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) law. His mother, Margaret Marsilla, said her son was not terminally ill and had been living with type 1 diabetes, blindness and mental health challenges.
Marsilla revealed that in 2022, she intervened after discovering that her son had scheduled an assisted death in Toronto. She contacted the doctor involved and went public, leading to the procedure being postponed and later cancelled. At the time, she said her son was vulnerable and not in a state to make an irreversible decision.
However, in late 2025, Vafaeian was approved again under MAiD and travelled to Vancouver, where the procedure was eventually carried out. His death certificate listed blindness, diabetes and severe nerve damage as contributing factors.
Canada expanded its assisted dying law in 2021 to include people with chronic illnesses and disabilities, even if death is not imminent. The country now records one of the highest rates of medically assisted deaths globally.
Marsilla said she believed her son had been improving in the months before his death. She had arranged housing, financial support and a caregiver for him, and said he spoke about future plans and travelling together.
She has described her son’s death as devastating and has criticized the system for choosing death instead of care. The family says they hope Kiano’s story will spark debate about assisted dying, mental health and disability support in Canada.
