Home / Health / ALS Patient Dies After Unregulated Clinic Treatment
ALS Patient Dies After Unregulated Clinic Treatment
30 Nov
Summary
- Patient sought treatment at an unregulated private health center.
- Insurance denied crucial feeding tube surgery in Canada.
- Clinic management allegedly abandoned a vulnerable client.
A desperate search for healing ended in tragedy for a 70-year-old American woman with ALS, who died alone in a U.S. hospital. She had traveled to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, seeking treatment at the Dr. Goodenowe Restorative Health Center, a private, unregulated facility promising a 100% success rate. Despite paying $84,000 USD, her condition worsened dramatically, leaving her unable to walk or speak and begging for a feeding tube.
Her situation was compounded when her U.S. insurance denied the surgery at a Canadian hospital, and the Goodenowe center allegedly offered minimal assistance. Former employees and her brother contend the clinic preyed on vulnerable individuals, providing false hope and inadequate care. This case highlights significant regulatory failures within Saskatchewan's health system, particularly concerning private entities operating outside provincial oversight.
The lack of regulation around such facilities has been criticized by health policy experts, who liken Saskatchewan's approach to the "Wild West." The article details how the patient was ultimately transported to a U.S. hospital, where she received a feeding tube but continued to decline, ultimately succumbing to ALS and respiratory failure. Her family expressed deep dismay over the perceived exploitation and lack of support.
