Catching Up on the News With Alex Schadenberg (Pictured Below)

First published on June 9, 2025 

Dear Friends:

I have very sad news. Stephen Mendelsohn, a disability leader, long-time opponent of assisted suicide, and member of the EPC-USA board, died on June 1 in an accident. Stephen followed the US state bills and updated leaders on news stories. He will be missed.

In late May, I had a speaking tour in British Columbia (BC) where I had engagements in Vernon, Kelowna, Salmon Arm, and Vancouver over four days. In Vancouver, I visited St. Paul’s Hospital to see the euthanasia clinic that was imposed on the hospital by the BC Ministry of Health. The euthanasia clinic was opened in January 2025.

Background: In June 2023, the euthanasia lobby was pressuring the BC government to force Catholic hospitals (Providence Health Care) to provide euthanasia. They used the story of Samantha O’Neill (34) who requested euthanasia at St. Paul’s. The hospital did not provide euthanasia; they transferred O’Neill to St. John Hospice (operated by Vancouver Coastal Health) and she died by euthanasia on April 4, 2023. In December 2023, based on the pressure from the euthanasia lobby, the BC government expropriated property from Providence Health (at St. Paul’s) to build a killing center.