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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air turbulence: When can it become dangerous?
Flight turbulence like that encountered by a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday is extremely common, but there's one aspect of severe turbulence an aviation expert says can lead to serious injury.
B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after prison attack
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton was attacked and sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
People in Gaza are 'wasting' from famine: World Food Programme director
World Food Programme executive director Cindy McCain says people living in Gaza are 'wasting' as famine concerns continue amid the war between Israel and Hamas.
WATCH Why today's inflation numbers are good if you have a mortgage
New inflation data is 'welcome news' for consumers and an economist says it could signal the possibility for a interest rate cut as several core measures also continue to ease.
Toronto Blue Jays fan struck by 110 m.p.h foul ball offered tickets, signed baseball by team
The Toronto Blue Jays have offered tickets and a signed baseball to a fan who says she was struck in the face by a 110 m.p.h (177 km/h) foul ball at Friday’s game.
OPP continues to investigate boat collision north of Kingston, Ont. that left 3 people dead
Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate a long weekend fatal boat collision on Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont.
Matthew Perry's death is being investigated over ketamine level found in actor's blood, reports say
An investigation has been opened into the death of Matthew Perry and how the “Friends” actor received the anesthetic ketamine, which was ruled a contributing factor in his death.
'Miscommunication' Liberals say of Speaker Fergus event invite Conservatives call partisan
House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus is facing fresh Conservative-led calls to resign, this time over "very partisan" and 'inflammatory' language used – the Liberals say mistakenly – to promote an upcoming event.
'Mr. Trump doesn't worry us', says Canadian ambassador
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues the 'Team Canada' charm offensive to U.S. lawmakers and business leaders, Canada's ambassador to the United States downplayed the effect of another Trump presidency on Canada.