Nick Vujicic, born without arms and legs, shares his life story in the film "No Limbs, No Limits: The Nick V Story," highlighting his experiences with bullying, depression, and his achievements such as flying, skydiving, marrying, and having children. The film portrays how Nick's faith and determination have enabled him to overcome hardships and inspire millions by demonstrating that disability does not define a person's value or potential for a fulfilling life. Despite challenges that could have led to abortion or euthanasia, Nick Vujicic's life affirms the beauty and worth of life, countering views that see disability as a death sentence and showing that mental limits can be the greatest obstacles.
Alicia Duncan is calling for reforms after her 61-year-old mother, Donna Duncan, was given Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) at home in Abbotsford, British Columbia, in 2021 shortly after being released from psychiatric care following a suicide attempt. Donna had been approved for MAiD by two independent assessors despite not being terminally ill, and her family questioned why she was released from psychiatric care only to receive euthanasia hours later, prompting Alicia to testify against the planned expansion of euthanasia to those with mental illness in Canada.
Brigitte Stegemann, an 83-year-old Canadian grandmother, died under the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program without giving final verbal consent, according to her family who allege that the procedure was initiated despite her objections and cognitive impairment. The family is demanding answers and has filed complaints and a police report to investigate the legality and circumstances surrounding her death, highlighting concerns about consent, safeguards, and family involvement in the MAiD process.
A person in Victoria, Australia, died by suicide after taking lethal assisted suicide drugs that were left unused when their partner died in hospital without using them, according to a report from the Victoria Government's Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board. The report also highlights issues such as non-compliance with the law regarding the return of unused drugs, a significant increase in euthanasia deaths over five years, and upcoming expansions to the assisted suicide and euthanasia laws in Victoria set for 2027.
A person in Victoria, Australia, died by suicide after taking lethal assisted suicide drugs that were prescribed for their partner, who had died in hospital without using them. The Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board found no evidence that the assisted suicide process contributed to this unintended death and stated the program continues to operate safely despite issues with the return of unused drugs and a significant increase in euthanasia and assisted suicide cases in recent years.
Pope Leo XIV visited France on a pilgrimage focused on human dignity, where he met with abuse victims, embraced people with disabilities, and emphasized that life is more than avoiding suffering, opposing euthanasia. During the trip, he also spent meaningful time with three adult men with profound disabilities, offering them fraternity and equality, while other news highlights included a Zambian archbishop's court appearance, Vatican clarification on abuse by Fr.
A group of medical professionals sent a letter to Tennessee Governor Bill Lee stating that healthcare professionals should never assist with executions following the botched lethal injection execution of Tony Carruthers on May 21, 2026 in Tennessee. Austin Sarat reported that Tony Carruthers was taken to the execution chamber where the state of Tennessee began the process of putting him to death.
Debbie Fisher wrote a letter to Members of Parliament urging support for Bill C-218, which will be voted on October 7. She expressed concern that mental illness might lead individuals to request medical aid in dying and emphasized the need to help people with mental illness rather than assist them in dying.
The Department of Health and Human Services announced that unborn children are now considered candidates for foster care, allowing expectant parents access to federally-funded services to prepare for raising a child. This initiative, building on the Family First Prevention Services Act, aims to provide preventive services such as mental health and substance abuse treatment to stabilize families and reduce the need for foster care, with states reimbursed for these services regardless of income level. Alex J. Adams, Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families at HHS, stated that targeting services during pregnancy could prevent many infants from entering foster care, as about one in five children entering foster care is under the age of one. Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos emphasized that creating stable environments for children is essential for their long-term well-being and that this program supports unborn children and expectant parents before the baby arrives.
Doctors are facing societal punishment or professional discipline for refusing to provide legal but controversial interventions like abortion, euthanasia, and gender transition due to their religious or moral beliefs. A British Columbia doctor was fined $28,100 for refusing to administer puberty blockers to a 14-year-old transgender girl based on his objections.
A federal court order currently protects several Illinois physicians and religious health care organizations from the state's assisted suicide law, which took effect on September 12 and includes mandates such as requiring doctors to inform patients about assisted suicide and refer them to providers if they refuse to participate. The Thomas More Society has filed an amended complaint to extend these protections to additional religious health care associations and professionals who object to the law on conscience grounds, highlighting concerns about the law's requirements for falsified death certificates and restrictions on Catholic hospitals disciplining staff who promote assisted suicide.
MPs voted 286 to 270 to reject the Edwards assisted suicide Bill after a two-year campaign, following the earlier defeat of the McArthur assisted suicide Bill in Scotland by 69 to 57. The Support Not Suicide campaign plans to continue by advocating for universal access to high-quality palliative, hospice, and social care, while also working to inform MPs, Peers, and the public about the risks of legalising assisted suicide through media and grassroots efforts across the UK.
Doctors in the Netherlands ended the life of a nearly 2-year-old child with severe brain damage under the country's new euthanasia framework for young children, with government investigators confirming the doctors acted with due care. The child, born at 26 weeks with extensive brain damage and multiple severe medical conditions, was the first euthanasia case under the expanded 2024 law legalizing termination of life for children aged 1 to 12 with severe illnesses.
St Timothy Anglican Church Hall in Hatchet Lake, Nova Scotia, is hosting a free Hot Potato evening in early October to provide information about Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). Staff from the MAiD program will deliver a presentation on the criteria, process, and considerations related to MAiD. The event aims to educate attendees about the legal aspects of MAiD rather than unrelated topics, as indicated by the promotional material and the involvement of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition's Executive Director, Alex Schadenberg.
Victoria, Australia has experienced a 400% increase in euthanasia cases over five years, with 512 deaths by euthanasia and assisted suicide recorded in 2025-26, representing 1.1% of all deaths in the region that year. Significant expansions to the assisted suicide and euthanasia laws are set to take effect in 2027, including extending the prognosis limit from six to twelve months and allowing doctors to raise the topic unprompted with patients nearing the end of life.
During his visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the dignity of the sick and disabled, stating that human frailty does not diminish a person's worth and that no one is turned away due to their condition. His message came amid France's recent legalization of assisted dying, a law opposed by the Catholic Church, which warned of potential social inequalities and pressured vulnerable populations, while the pope reiterated the Church's stance against assisted dying during his apostolic journey.
Pope Leo, speaking in Lourdes, France, condemned euthanasia and assisted suicide, emphasizing the dignity of human life. He acknowledged the suffering of those with illnesses and pain but rejected causing death under the guise of false compassion.
Allison Ducluzeau, diagnosed with stage 4 peritoneal carcinomatosis in Canada, was denied surgery by the British Columbia Cancer Agency and was instead suggested to consider assisted dying. She later received treatment in Maryland at Mercy Medical Center, where she was successfully treated and became cancer-free, highlighting differences in care between socialized medicine and the U.S.
Brigitte Stegemann was an 83-year-old mother of two who is mentioned in the context of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in Canada. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's 2020 document Samaritanus Bonus states that euthanasia is considered a crime against human life because it involves directly causing the death of an innocent human being.
Pope Leo XIV condemned assisted dying as immoral and described it as "false compassion" during his visit to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France, emphasizing that causing death should never be treated as normal or moral despite legal permissions. He urged healthcare professionals to care for suffering persons rather than eliminate them and reaffirmed the Church's teaching that every human life must be protected from conception until natural death, opposing abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide.
In 2024, Canada recorded 16,499 euthanasia deaths, which is 1,135 more than the 15,364 firearm homicide deaths in the United States during the same year, according to data from Health Canada and the CDC. This comparison has been highlighted by U.S.
Concerns about societal attitudes toward the unborn, elderly, and seriously ill, highlighting the expansion of abortion and euthanasia practices in North America and Europe, including specific cases in Canada and the United States. It also addresses the pressure on parents of children with disabilities to abort, the ethical implications of treating dependency as grounds for ending life, and recent political rhetoric that some interpret as endorsing violence, framing these issues as part of a broader cultural shift regarding the value of human life.
A two-year-old child in the Netherlands was euthanised due to severe medical conditions including brain damage, cerebral palsy, visual impairment, epileptic seizures, and respiratory difficulties, marking the first known case of euthanasia for a non-infant under 12 in the country. The decision was made after medical professionals and the child's parents concluded that the suffering was unbearable and without prospect of relief, and the doctor acted with due care following consultations and second opinions as required by Dutch law, which permits assisted dying for terminally ill children aged one to 12 under strict conditions.
The first terminally ill child euthanized under the Netherlands' expanded assisted-dying laws was a 1-year-old baby born prematurely at 26 weeks with severe brain damage and multiple disabilities, including cerebral palsy and infantile epileptic spasms syndrome. The euthanasia was performed lawfully after physicians determined the child's suffering was unbearable with no prospect of improvement, and the parents gave informed consent following consultation with independent doctors and adherence to legal protocols.
On September 27, Leo XIV visited the Accueil Notre-Dame Center at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France, addressing patients and their companions about the dignity of human life and rejecting euthanasia and abortion despite their legal status in France. He emphasized that no human law should undermine the inalienable dignity of the person, urged healthcare workers to care for the suffering rather than eliminate life, and called for the development of palliative care and tender accompaniment of the sick.
Pope Leo XIV condemned France's recent legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide during a speech at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, emphasizing that killing the sick is neither compassionate nor moral despite its legality. He urged healthcare workers to care for suffering individuals with dignity and called for the rejection of death under the guise of false compassion, highlighting the importance of palliative care and the value of the sick to humanity and the Church.
During his Apostolic Journey to France, Pope Leo XIV condemned assisted suicide and euthanasia laws, calling them 'false compassion' and emphasizing the inalienable dignity of the human person. He urged the healthcare community to care for suffering individuals rather than eliminate them, criticizing recent French legislation legalizing assisted dying and warning against the moral dangers of such laws.
Illinois' assisted suicide law, known as Deb's Law, took effect on September 12, 2026, allowing hospitals and doctors to decide whether to participate, but several hospitals including Blessing Health System, Quincy Medical Group, and Jacksonville Memorial Health have opted out of participating in medical aid in dying. The Little Sisters of the Poor, along with Cardinal Blase Cupich and other religious groups, have sued the state to block enforcement of the law against them, resulting in a temporary injunction protecting these groups from being forced to participate in assisted suicide.
Pope Leo, speaking in Lourdes shortly after France legalized assisted suicide and euthanasia, stated that causing death under the guise of false compassion must be rejected. He emphasized that it is impossible to regard causing death as something normal and that what is legal is not necessarily right.
Pope Leo XIV stated during his visit to France that assisted dying is not 'normal' and emphasized that causing death should not be regarded as acceptable, even under the guise of compassion. He made these remarks in response to France's recent legislation legalizing assisted dying for certain patients, highlighting that what is legal is not necessarily moral.
