There's nothing more terrifying than finding out a loved one has been rushed to the hospital. Your…read moremind immediately starts racing.
I was on my way to a gig when my sister called, frantic our other sister, who was visiting for the weekend, had suddenly fallen ill and was taken to Mercy Hospital. I dropped everything and headed there right away.
When I arrived, there was confusion about visitors, and my sister was asked to leave so they could treat our patient. When I was finally allowed back, I was alarmed by what I saw: my sister was unconscious, foaming at the mouth, and lying on her back with no doctor or nurse in the room.
I immediately turned her on her side so she wouldn't choke. After waiting about 10 minutes with no staff checking in, I went to find help. Nurses in the area couldn't tell me who was assigned to her, and I was given paper towels to manage her condition myself.
After about 30 more minutes, I finally found a nurse at the desk who said she was assigned to my sister. When I asked why no one had come to check on her, I was told my sister had been "extra drunk," combative, and had spit on staff so they essentially left her there. Despite this, she had still not received fluids or proper care.
The nurse also mentioned her shift was ending soon and that someone else would take over. However, another hour and a half passed with no one checking on my sister. Eventually, a doctor briefly stopped by and said she would wake up in a few hours pending toxicology.
When my sister finally regained consciousness, she was disoriented, confused, and not behaving normally. It took multiple attempts just to get assistance for something as basic as helping her to the restroom. At that point, it had been over four hours with little to no care.
We requested a toxicology report, especially since her symptoms suggested she may have been drugged. Although blood had apparently been drawn (there were even remnants left in the room), we never received any results. The room itself was also concerning there were gnats and visible lack of cleanliness.
When a new nurse came on shift, the attitude was dismissive. We were told we could leave, even though my sister clearly wasn't stable. When asked to collect a urine sample, the nurse refused to assist and said it was only being done to "satisfy" us. We complied anyway, but to this day, we have not received any follow-up or results.
This was one of the most neglectful medical experiences I've ever witnessed. My sister could have choked on her own vomit. Over the 4-5 hours we were there, I don't believe her assigned nurse ever once checked on her in the room.
Thankfully, we were there to advocate for her but that shouldn't be necessary for someone to receive basic care.
I'm sharing this because no family should have to go through something like this. I truly hope Mercy Hospital takes steps to improve patient care and accountability so this doesn't happen to someone else.
