‘She doesn’t want to die’: Regina woman with rare illness looks for answers

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‘She doesn’t want to die’: Regina woman with rare illness looks for answers

A Regina woman considering ending her life as she battles against a rare parathyroid condition has a few glimmers of hope.

Jolene Van Alstine is scheduled to receive Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) in January, as she says she’s been unable to get the treatment she needs despite years of efforts to find a practitioner who knows how to navigate such a rare condition.

Normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism (NPHPT) causes bone and joint pain as well as fatigue, nausea and numerous other symptoms.

Van Asltine, who has already had three surgeries in an attempt to keep her condition at bay, and her husband, Miles Sundeen, have met with Saskatchewan Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill about her case.

They’ve also received support from a number of unlikely people, including U.S. conservative commentator Glenn Beck, who offered to pay for her to travel south of the border for treatment.

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Do you mean that? I am Jolene Van Alstine, the person in the article pic.twitter.com/YttDbuEVEG

— Jolene Van Alstine (@Ultraviolet4910) December 9, 2025

“It has been horrific,” Van Alstine said about her condition, in an appearance before the provincial legislature late last month.

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“Every day, I get up, and I’m sick to my stomach, and I throw up and I throw up.

“My friends have stopped visiting me, I’m isolated, I have to be at home, lying on the couch — for eight years, sick and curled up in a ball, wishing for the day to end.”

Sundeen told Global Regina the meeting with the province’s health minister is giving the couple a modicum of hope.

“Jeremy Cockrill was very good. He did commit to helping us get some help out of province,” Sundeen said. “There’s nothing in writing, so we just have to take it from there.”

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That meeting led to three referrals — to clinics in Toronto, Edmonton and Hamilton that specialize in the condition. Sundeen said while the pair are committed to exploring whatever options are out there, he’s not confident they’ll receive a swift response — as the clock continues to tick down toward Van Alstine’s MAID appointment.

“So much of it now is based on hope. When there’s no hope, the battle’s lost,” Sundeen said.

“She doesn’t want to die. She’s expressed that, but on the other hand, I do understand. After watching her suffer for this length of time, I don’t think I could’ve been that strong.

“When you’re dealing with somebody who has felt that the only option for her and her life is to go through with MAID, we’re going to go whatever direction it takes.”

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Sundeen said the pair are grateful for the public support, but ideally, he’d like to see the system as a whole improved for those who may find themselves in a similar situation in future.

“We know we’re not the only people in a difficult situation like this,” he said.

“I just wish our governments and our health-care systems could be improved.”

Global Regina reached out to the province for comment Wednesday.

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