Inquest into suicide death of Quebec woman who had Lyme disease comes to an end
A Quebec coroner's inquest into the death of Amélie Champagne, a young woman who suffered from Lyme disease and died by suicide, concluded on Friday.
Her family said the hospital system failed her after she died on Sept. 11, 2022, in Montreal.
For years, she had symptoms associated with the long form of Lyme’s disease, an unexplained complication from a disease transmitted by ticks that still baffles scientists
Her symptoms included constant fatigue and doctors couldn’t provide her with a cure.
Champagne fell into a long depression, and was twice admitted to psychiatric wards, only to be discharged shortly after.
Shortly after her last hospital visit, she took her own life.
An inquest by coroner Julie-Kim Godin revealed that medical research into Lyme disease was still in its infancy, even if the number of cases has steadily increased.
Quebec's public health director, Dr. Luc Boileau, testified that more expertise was still needed, and few doctors work specifically on a treatment and cure.
The final witness was social services minister Lionel Carmant. He testified about his government’s plan to expand and reinforce suicide prevention in Quebec, but could not provide a timeline.
With her work now completed, the coroner is expected to release her report later this year.
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