A 24 year old Indigenous Canadian woman named Heather Winterstein died of sepsis after ER staff dismissed her repeatedly and labeled her as a homeless addict.
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A 24 year old Indigenous Canadian woman named Heather Winterstein died of sepsis after ER staff dismissed her repeatedly and labeled her as a homeless addict.
There’s an inquest into her death that shows her falling to the floor in the ER and still being ignored.
Bias, bigotry, misogyny and racism can determine the care you receive in the hospital .
I was Heather’s age when I experienced a life threatening complication after my hysterectomy
Like her I was sent home from the ER multiple times
Told I was exaggerating.
Attention seeking
Deemed a trouble maker
On my fourth visit my then boyfriend had to carry me in because I couldn’t even sit up
He had to raise his voice and cause a scene
He said he was refusing to take me home to die, and he firmly believed that’s what would happen
Triage called security who threatened to call police
They would rather arrest him than treat me
Thankfully a doctor heard him yelling and came to look in on me and instantly realized something was wrong
Within hours I was being rushed to a larger hospital for emergency surgery
I had been bleeding internally the entire time and developed a huge infected abscess
Had they treated me earlier, my survival odds would have been much better
Instead I very nearly lost my life and ended up spending a month in the hospital
I was one of the lucky ones
No one’s survival should ever be based on luck, race, money or privilege
Yet more often than not those things determine who lives and who dies
My heart is heavy for Heather and all who knew and loved her
We must do better
We must believe and listen to patients
We must strive to treat everyone equally
#disability #chronicillness #ableism #eugenics #healthcare #bias
@broadwaybabyto I cannot speak for the Canadian system, but in the UK, the system is under so much pressure, I get that clinicians have to make difficult decisions, snap judgements. To prioritise those people they can treat.
This is not an excuse. It is an acknowledgement that the system is broken, in a bigger way. It is not just the health system, it is the homeless support system. It is the mental health system. It is everything.
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A 24 year old Indigenous Canadian woman named Heather Winterstein died of sepsis after ER staff dismissed her repeatedly and labeled her as a homeless addict.
There’s an inquest into her death that shows her falling to the floor in the ER and still being ignored.
Bias, bigotry, misogyny and racism can determine the care you receive in the hospital .
I was Heather’s age when I experienced a life threatening complication after my hysterectomy
Like her I was sent home from the ER multiple times
Told I was exaggerating.
Attention seeking
Deemed a trouble maker
On my fourth visit my then boyfriend had to carry me in because I couldn’t even sit up
He had to raise his voice and cause a scene
He said he was refusing to take me home to die, and he firmly believed that’s what would happen
Triage called security who threatened to call police
They would rather arrest him than treat me
Thankfully a doctor heard him yelling and came to look in on me and instantly realized something was wrong
Within hours I was being rushed to a larger hospital for emergency surgery
I had been bleeding internally the entire time and developed a huge infected abscess
Had they treated me earlier, my survival odds would have been much better
Instead I very nearly lost my life and ended up spending a month in the hospital
I was one of the lucky ones
No one’s survival should ever be based on luck, race, money or privilege
Yet more often than not those things determine who lives and who dies
My heart is heavy for Heather and all who knew and loved her
We must do better
We must believe and listen to patients
We must strive to treat everyone equally
#disability #chronicillness #ableism #eugenics #healthcare #bias
@broadwaybabyto Something like that could never happen in Europe, even if you were a homeless addict. "God bless America"
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A 24 year old Indigenous Canadian woman named Heather Winterstein died of sepsis after ER staff dismissed her repeatedly and labeled her as a homeless addict.
There’s an inquest into her death that shows her falling to the floor in the ER and still being ignored.
Bias, bigotry, misogyny and racism can determine the care you receive in the hospital .
I was Heather’s age when I experienced a life threatening complication after my hysterectomy
Like her I was sent home from the ER multiple times
Told I was exaggerating.
Attention seeking
Deemed a trouble maker
On my fourth visit my then boyfriend had to carry me in because I couldn’t even sit up
He had to raise his voice and cause a scene
He said he was refusing to take me home to die, and he firmly believed that’s what would happen
Triage called security who threatened to call police
They would rather arrest him than treat me
Thankfully a doctor heard him yelling and came to look in on me and instantly realized something was wrong
Within hours I was being rushed to a larger hospital for emergency surgery
I had been bleeding internally the entire time and developed a huge infected abscess
Had they treated me earlier, my survival odds would have been much better
Instead I very nearly lost my life and ended up spending a month in the hospital
I was one of the lucky ones
No one’s survival should ever be based on luck, race, money or privilege
Yet more often than not those things determine who lives and who dies
My heart is heavy for Heather and all who knew and loved her
We must do better
We must believe and listen to patients
We must strive to treat everyone equally
#disability #chronicillness #ableism #eugenics #healthcare #bias
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@broadwaybabyto Something like that could never happen in Europe, even if you were a homeless addict. "God bless America"
@howking @broadwaybabyto sir, that is the naivety of privilege. I'm jealous.
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@broadwaybabyto Something like that could never happen in Europe, even if you were a homeless addict. "God bless America"
It does happen here.
Medical sexism and racism happens in European countries, too.
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A 24 year old Indigenous Canadian woman named Heather Winterstein died of sepsis after ER staff dismissed her repeatedly and labeled her as a homeless addict.
There’s an inquest into her death that shows her falling to the floor in the ER and still being ignored.
Bias, bigotry, misogyny and racism can determine the care you receive in the hospital .
I was Heather’s age when I experienced a life threatening complication after my hysterectomy
Like her I was sent home from the ER multiple times
Told I was exaggerating.
Attention seeking
Deemed a trouble maker
On my fourth visit my then boyfriend had to carry me in because I couldn’t even sit up
He had to raise his voice and cause a scene
He said he was refusing to take me home to die, and he firmly believed that’s what would happen
Triage called security who threatened to call police
They would rather arrest him than treat me
Thankfully a doctor heard him yelling and came to look in on me and instantly realized something was wrong
Within hours I was being rushed to a larger hospital for emergency surgery
I had been bleeding internally the entire time and developed a huge infected abscess
Had they treated me earlier, my survival odds would have been much better
Instead I very nearly lost my life and ended up spending a month in the hospital
I was one of the lucky ones
No one’s survival should ever be based on luck, race, money or privilege
Yet more often than not those things determine who lives and who dies
My heart is heavy for Heather and all who knew and loved her
We must do better
We must believe and listen to patients
We must strive to treat everyone equally
#disability #chronicillness #ableism #eugenics #healthcare #bias
@broadwaybabyto They sent my mom home the day after a hysterectomy, even though she complained several times about shortness of breath. They told her that was normal after anaesthesia. We took her back the next day. She had a pulmonary embolism and almost died.
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@broadwaybabyto Something like that could never happen in Europe, even if you were a homeless addict. "God bless America"
> Something like that could never happen in Europe
Just because something didn't happen doesn't mean "it could never happen"
Of course it could and would happen, fascists are taken over and universal healthcare is one of the first things fascists destroy…
Actually, in france people died in hospitals during covid pandemics while they were left waiting, cause "Hospitals costs too much and are not profitable, let's reduce their staff and sentiments to reduce costs"…
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A 24 year old Indigenous Canadian woman named Heather Winterstein died of sepsis after ER staff dismissed her repeatedly and labeled her as a homeless addict.
There’s an inquest into her death that shows her falling to the floor in the ER and still being ignored.
Bias, bigotry, misogyny and racism can determine the care you receive in the hospital .
I was Heather’s age when I experienced a life threatening complication after my hysterectomy
Like her I was sent home from the ER multiple times
Told I was exaggerating.
Attention seeking
Deemed a trouble maker
On my fourth visit my then boyfriend had to carry me in because I couldn’t even sit up
He had to raise his voice and cause a scene
He said he was refusing to take me home to die, and he firmly believed that’s what would happen
Triage called security who threatened to call police
They would rather arrest him than treat me
Thankfully a doctor heard him yelling and came to look in on me and instantly realized something was wrong
Within hours I was being rushed to a larger hospital for emergency surgery
I had been bleeding internally the entire time and developed a huge infected abscess
Had they treated me earlier, my survival odds would have been much better
Instead I very nearly lost my life and ended up spending a month in the hospital
I was one of the lucky ones
No one’s survival should ever be based on luck, race, money or privilege
Yet more often than not those things determine who lives and who dies
My heart is heavy for Heather and all who knew and loved her
We must do better
We must believe and listen to patients
We must strive to treat everyone equally
#disability #chronicillness #ableism #eugenics #healthcare #bias
@broadwaybabyto Reminded of the death of New Orleans piano legend James Booker.
He was left at Charity Hospital in the emergency waiting room sitting in a wheelchair, and was there for almost half an hour before anyone noticed him. When they did, Booker was already gone. At 43.
I'm so glad you survived.
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@broadwaybabyto I cannot speak for the Canadian system, but in the UK, the system is under so much pressure, I get that clinicians have to make difficult decisions, snap judgements. To prioritise those people they can treat.
This is not an excuse. It is an acknowledgement that the system is broken, in a bigger way. It is not just the health system, it is the homeless support system. It is the mental health system. It is everything.
@SteveClough @broadwaybabyto in the U.S. they’re overcrowded and short staffed and you can frequently top off the process in bankruptcy court. Somewhere medicine went wrong.
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A 24 year old Indigenous Canadian woman named Heather Winterstein died of sepsis after ER staff dismissed her repeatedly and labeled her as a homeless addict.
There’s an inquest into her death that shows her falling to the floor in the ER and still being ignored.
Bias, bigotry, misogyny and racism can determine the care you receive in the hospital .
I was Heather’s age when I experienced a life threatening complication after my hysterectomy
Like her I was sent home from the ER multiple times
Told I was exaggerating.
Attention seeking
Deemed a trouble maker
On my fourth visit my then boyfriend had to carry me in because I couldn’t even sit up
He had to raise his voice and cause a scene
He said he was refusing to take me home to die, and he firmly believed that’s what would happen
Triage called security who threatened to call police
They would rather arrest him than treat me
Thankfully a doctor heard him yelling and came to look in on me and instantly realized something was wrong
Within hours I was being rushed to a larger hospital for emergency surgery
I had been bleeding internally the entire time and developed a huge infected abscess
Had they treated me earlier, my survival odds would have been much better
Instead I very nearly lost my life and ended up spending a month in the hospital
I was one of the lucky ones
No one’s survival should ever be based on luck, race, money or privilege
Yet more often than not those things determine who lives and who dies
My heart is heavy for Heather and all who knew and loved her
We must do better
We must believe and listen to patients
We must strive to treat everyone equally
#disability #chronicillness #ableism #eugenics #healthcare #bias
@broadwaybabyto There should be criminal penalties for this and the deprivation of all licenses related to medical treatment.
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> Something like that could never happen in Europe
Just because something didn't happen doesn't mean "it could never happen"
Of course it could and would happen, fascists are taken over and universal healthcare is one of the first things fascists destroy…
Actually, in france people died in hospitals during covid pandemics while they were left waiting, cause "Hospitals costs too much and are not profitable, let's reduce their staff and sentiments to reduce costs"…
@devnull @howking @broadwaybabyto So it wasn't to do with the fact that they were overrun because it was a freaking pandemic and that applied equally if not more so to staff working at hospitals likely to catch it? What's a sentiment in your opinion?
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@devnull @howking @broadwaybabyto So it wasn't to do with the fact that they were overrun because it was a freaking pandemic and that applied equally if not more so to staff working at hospitals likely to catch it? What's a sentiment in your opinion?
@ariaflame No, it's not "just overrun because it was a freaking pandemic"… Sure more people are lkikely to die during pandemics but it's NOT what I'm talking… I'm talking about conscious choices to destroy health care, choices amde policitans EVEN during pandemic,
Billionaires running this country litterally sent fascists militarized comps beating nurses during protest to ask for decent work conditions/tools… Medics were literally used fucking trash bags as PPE…
1/2
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@ariaflame No, it's not "just overrun because it was a freaking pandemic"… Sure more people are lkikely to die during pandemics but it's NOT what I'm talking… I'm talking about conscious choices to destroy health care, choices amde policitans EVEN during pandemic,
Billionaires running this country litterally sent fascists militarized comps beating nurses during protest to ask for decent work conditions/tools… Medics were literally used fucking trash bags as PPE…
1/2
@ariaflame Even during pandemics, some tie-wearing asshole manager in local hospitals decided to remove available places in ICU because "those beds aren't used often enough during the year to be profitable… We're not keeping them if if we don't use them ALL the time"
It's about consciously destroying healthcare because hospitals are treated like for-profit business when you put rich people in charge… Denying it out of your chauvinism is YOUR problem
2/2
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A 24 year old Indigenous Canadian woman named Heather Winterstein died of sepsis after ER staff dismissed her repeatedly and labeled her as a homeless addict.
There’s an inquest into her death that shows her falling to the floor in the ER and still being ignored.
Bias, bigotry, misogyny and racism can determine the care you receive in the hospital .
I was Heather’s age when I experienced a life threatening complication after my hysterectomy
Like her I was sent home from the ER multiple times
Told I was exaggerating.
Attention seeking
Deemed a trouble maker
On my fourth visit my then boyfriend had to carry me in because I couldn’t even sit up
He had to raise his voice and cause a scene
He said he was refusing to take me home to die, and he firmly believed that’s what would happen
Triage called security who threatened to call police
They would rather arrest him than treat me
Thankfully a doctor heard him yelling and came to look in on me and instantly realized something was wrong
Within hours I was being rushed to a larger hospital for emergency surgery
I had been bleeding internally the entire time and developed a huge infected abscess
Had they treated me earlier, my survival odds would have been much better
Instead I very nearly lost my life and ended up spending a month in the hospital
I was one of the lucky ones
No one’s survival should ever be based on luck, race, money or privilege
Yet more often than not those things determine who lives and who dies
My heart is heavy for Heather and all who knew and loved her
We must do better
We must believe and listen to patients
We must strive to treat everyone equally
#disability #chronicillness #ableism #eugenics #healthcare #bias
A young friend of mine was almost denied treatment for kidney stones because his appearance led the ER to believe he was just another addict looking for some free drugs. He was not, he was just in pain.
In an awful way this is another consequence of our failure to deal humanely and effectively with drug addiction and homelessness.
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A young friend of mine was almost denied treatment for kidney stones because his appearance led the ER to believe he was just another addict looking for some free drugs. He was not, he was just in pain.
In an awful way this is another consequence of our failure to deal humanely and effectively with drug addiction and homelessness.
Tbh, I think most addicts looking for free drugs are also just people in pain.
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Tbh, I think most addicts looking for free drugs are also just people in pain.
This.
Healthcare is so broken.
We need a sea change until nobody who thinks perceived addicts* don't deserve care works in healthcare.
*really, it's just the provider's idea of undesirables
The system as it stands attracts people who want to be gatekeepers.
I bet they'd be all denials if someone said "choosing to dismiss that person's concerns is saying you don't care if they die."
Ms Winterstein, may you rest well. May your family see justice.
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