According to reports, Frances Kelsey, a doctor from Canada famous for keeping an unsafe drug given to pregnant women away from the US, passed away at age 101. A few hours before her death, she had received the Order of Canada in a private ceremony. She died at her daughter's home in London, Ontario.

In the early 1960s, Kelsey served as a medical officer for the US Food and Drug Administration when she opposed thalidomide, a medicine that was being used in other countries in order to treat insomnia and morning sickness in pregnant women.

There was pressure from thalidomide makers to approve the drug, but Kelsey didn’t agree, and because of that, thousands of children were saved from harmful effects of the drug.

Doctors started prescribing the drug beginning from 1950. After that, there were reports that thousands of mothers who took the drug, their children were born with unusually short limbs and there were also some cases, in which children were born without any legs, arms or hips. There were reports of birth defects in Australia, Europe, Japan and Canada.

According to Kelsey's daughter, Christine Kelsey, in the beginning, the ceremony was scheduled for September, however was held earlier for the reason that her mother's health was not good. As per reports, over the years, thalidomide lawsuits have been filed throughout the world.

Before Kelsey's death, Ontario Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell had traveled to London, Ontario to give Kelsey the Order of Canada. According to Dowdeswell, “She immediately woke up and she was clearly aware that I was there. She didn't speak, but she tried to speak and she got animated immediately. It was just such an honor”.