In a 6-month span, a 16-month-old baby and both her parents died of suspected drug toxicity in Saskatoon. The surviving family members say they want to see better supports for parents living with addictions, and better protections for their children.
From the moment Madison was born, Doig worried the girl would struggle, given her parents' addictions.
Berkeley was a dental hygienist who had "the biggest laugh," according to her mother, Susan Donkervoort. She believed Berkeley used fentanyl for eight years before she died. Instead of calling 911, Doig says someone who knew the family drove Berkeley and Madison to the hospital where staff tried to revive the baby. But she was gone.
Susan Donkervoort says she hoped her daughter would finally get help for her addictions after losing her own daughter and partner. "You can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped, but I think the rules change when there's a baby involved," she said.