Dr. Matt Strauss, the MP for Kitchener South-Hespeler, and his wife, Simone ten Kortenaar, are suing two hospitals, a midwifery practice and 21 healthcare professionals over the care they received before, during and after the birth of their son in September 2024.
The couple is seeking $7 million in damages.
The 44-page statement of claim alleges a series of failures in ten Kortenaar’s care, including that the defendants failed to recognize, diagnose and respond to medical complications.
According to the claim, ten Kortenaar passed a large blood clot the day after her son was born. She went to Cambridge Memorial Hospital’s emergency department but left before seeing a physician.
About three weeks later, after experiencing more heavy bleeding, she went to Guelph General Hospital, where she underwent a dilation and curettage procedure, according to the claim.
The lawsuit also alleges that, as a result of the care — or lack of proper care — provided by the defendants, ten Kortenaar suffered significant physical and emotional harm.
The claim stated she required hospitalization and other treatment and alleges her ability to learn, work and earn an income has been and will be impaired.
Strauss, formerly the acting medical officer of health for Haldimand-Norfolk, has hospital privileges at Guelph General. According to the claim, he is also seeking damages for expenses related to hospital care, medical attention, medication and therapy.
The lawsuit names Cambridge Memorial Hospital, Guelph General Hospital, Cambridge Midwives and 21 health-care professionals as defendants.
The legal action comes more than a year after Strauss publicly discussed his wife’s medical emergency with CTV News following his successful election campaign in Kitchener South-Hespeler.
“I can’t believe my wife let me do this. She’s an amazing woman. We have a seven-month-old son. We have a three-year-old daughter. My wife came through a near-death experience, a couple of days on life support in the ICU. During the winter, it seemed like this was not going to be feasible,” he told CTV News in April 2025. “I’ve been gone a lot over the last few weeks. She’s kept our children alive… this is her victory more than mine.”
Shortly before he was elected the MP for Kitchener South-Hespeler, Strauss said his wife had survived what he described as a near-death experience after giving birth to their son.
Also, in a social media post from March 2025, Strauss said that, seven months earlier, his wife’s uterus had ruptured, and she had “very nearly bled to death” because of an undiagnosed condition.
At the time, Strauss expressed gratitude to the surgeons, anesthetists and nurses who treated ten Kortenaar.
The lawsuit now alleges failures in care up to and following the emergency.
The allegations have not been tested in court.
CTV News reached out to both hospitals and Cambridge Midwives for comment. Those organizations either said they could not comment on the matter or did not respond to the request.
A representative for the Guelph Superior Court of Justice told CTV News, as of Thursday morning, no statements of defence had been filed.
