N.S. woman with ALS who had thousands of dollars stolen from her has died

A Nova Scotia woman with ALS who lost thousands of dollars has passed away.

A Nova Scotia woman living with ALS who had thousands of dollars stolen from her – allegedly from three of her caretakers – has died.

Bonnie Petten of Amherst was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2021.

She was unable to move or speak and required constant support in her home from up to 10 different caregivers.

Leanne Shaw, Petten’s primary caregiver, confirmed to CTV News that Petten passed away Saturday in her sleep.

“Bonnie’s fiery spirit, quick wit and contagious laugh will forever be remembered by all those who knew and loved her,” said Shaw.

“I can speak on behalf of her private care team when I say she will be missed dearly.

“She was ready, but we were not.”

According to Petten’s Facebook account, she worked as a registered massage therapist prior to her diagnosis.

Defrauded out of thousands

A little more than a year ago, Petten noticed a large sum of money was missing from her bank account, prompting her to notify police.

Shaw previously told CTV News the amount taken from Petten’s account was around $58,000.

In February, the Amherst Police Department published a news release stating that three women had been charged with defrauding a vulnerable person.

Police said the three staff members took money from the victim’s bank account – allegedly to cover hours they had worked. However, investigators found discrepancies between the hours of work reported and the actual hours they had worked.

All three women were arrested in December 2024 and have each been charged with fraud over $5,000.

They made their first court appearance on Feb. 3. The charges against them have yet to be tested in court.

Police continue to ask anyone with information on the incident to contact them.

Community support

As a result of the incident, Petten received support from her friends and neighbours in Amherst with donations and a GoFundMe campaign.

A Facebook post by the creator of the GoFundMe campaign said, in total, $6,500 was raised for Petten, “which will be given to her estate to cover any and all expenses.”

The post says donations are still being accepted through the online fundraiser.

As of Monday, the GoFundMe alone has raised more than $4,000 in less than a month.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Derek Haggett.

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