Coroner investigating death of Quebec woman who died by suicide after battle with Lyme disease
Quebec's chief coroner has ordered a public inquiry into the death of Amélie Champagne, a 22-year-old woman who suffered from Lyme disease and took her own life on Sept. 11 in Montreal.
Since the death of the young woman, her father, Groupe Jean Coutu CEO Alain Champagne, has deplored in interviews the failures of the hospital system to take care of his suicidal daughter.
Champagne recently explained in a LinkedIn post that Lyme disease had "essentially kidnapped" his daughter Amélie.
"After years of medical wandering in Quebec -- and finally testing positive in the U.S. last June -- over time and despite recent treatments, the disease had progressed far beyond the many physical symptoms and was now having a severe impact on the brain," he wrote.
And after the young woman attempted to take her own life, the health-care system was reportedly unable to care for her, Champagne said in interviews.
Details of the coroner's inquest and dates for public hearings are not yet known.
The office of Chief Coroner Pascale Descary said Tuesday in a statement that the public hearings "will allow any person of interest to express their views on the circumstances of this death in order to analyze all contributing factors, with a view to proposing solutions for better protection of human life."
A coroner's inquest never makes a determination about a person's civil or criminal liability. Its purpose is to shed light on the cause and circumstances of death.
LIST OF MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES IN QUEBEC
If ever you need help, don't hesitate to reach out to:
- Your family doctor (if you have one)
- Your local CLSC, CISSS or CIUSSS: 811
- AMI-Quebec: 514-486-1448
- Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA): 514-521-4993
- Centre Interligne Inc.: (for issues related to sexual orientation): 514-866-0103
- Depressives Anonymous: 514-278-2130
- Groupe d'entraide pour un mieux-être: (GEME): 450-332-4463
- Quebec Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation: 514-727-0012
- Société québécoise de la schizophrénie: 514-251-4000 x3400
- Suicide Action Montreal: 1 866 277 3553
- Suicide Prevention Service: 1 866 APPELLE
- Veterans Affairs Canada: 1 800 268-7708
If you need immediate assistance, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 27, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.