Glenn Beck offers to fund lifesaving surgery for woman approved for assisted suicide

Commentator and podcaster Glenn Beck has offered to underwrite lifesaving surgery for a Canadian woman who obtained approval for assisted suicide after failing to receive adequate medical care in her home province.

Beck announced the offer in a Dec. 9 post on X, saying he would fund surgery for Jolene Van Alstine, a Saskatchewan woman who had been approved for Canada’s euthanasia program, as she had been suffering from a rare parathyroid condition. 

“If there is any surgeon in America who can do this, I’ll pay for this patient to come down here for treatment,” Beck wrote. 

Van Alstine suffers from normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism, a condition causing chronic vomiting, nausea and bone pain, LifeSiteNews reports. She told reporters she has been unable to receive surgery in Saskatchewan because no surgeons in the province perform the procedure she needs. 

After years of illness and frustration with the healthcare system, Van Alstine applied for Canada’s “Medical Assistance in Dying” program. She was approved for euthanasia and scheduled for the procedure on Jan. 7. 

Beck used her case to criticize Canada’s healthcare system and its expanding euthanasia policies. 

“THIS is the reality of ‘compassionate’ progressive healthcare. Canada must END this insanity and Americans can NEVER let it spread here,” he wrote. 

In a follow-up post, Beck said surgeons in the United States have already contacted him and expressed their willingness to help. 

“We are in contact with Jolene and her husband! Please continue to pray for her health,” Beck wrote. “Will update more soon.” 

Van Alstine’s case has drawn renewed attention to Canada’s assisted suicide policies, which critics argue have become a substitute for timely medical care. While Saskatchewan Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill reportedly met with Van Alstine last month to discuss possible options, details of the meeting have not been made public. 

Her situation reflects a broader pattern in Canada’s healthcare system. Wait times for medical care in Canada have climbed to an average of 27.7 weeks, the report said. At the same time, Canada has continued to expand eligibility for assisted suicide. 

Over 23,000 Canadians die per year while waiting for medical care, a separate LifeSiteNews report said. It is happening as Canadians increasingly see assisted suicide as a viable option for those facing chronic illness, disability or financial hardship. 

Government documents in Ontario in 2024 revealed some Canadians pursued assisted suicide primarily because of financial strain and social isolation. 

Assisted suicide is now the fifth-leading cause of death in Canada.