Grandma’s story:

Became sick with covid-like symptoms on 8/22-8/24/21 and was treated at home with vitamins, and other support after being seen at her primary doc, in the parking lot was tested for covid and sent home with a Z-pack, prednisone, and albuterol inhaler.
On 9/1/21, on or around day 7-10 of symptoms, she had increased difficulty breathing and her O2 sats began to drop.
I told her that it was time that we go in, I thought she only needed some oxygen support and maybe some fluids so we were going to head down to the urgent care, but on the way down, she became worse, and I knew she wasn’t going to make it to the urgent care so I called 911 and she was taken by ambulance down to St Agnes because they had the lesser wait and shortest line.

My uncle and I followed the ambulance down and met her at the ambulance bay and was with her as they wheeled her in on a gurney. Upon reviewing her chart, we found that she had improved on the ambulance ride with only given a nasal cannula, and one breathing treatment.
I thought at that time, she was probably going to be discharged later that evening after receiving some oxygen and fluids. That was the last time that I saw my grandma.
My uncle and I waited in the parking lot for over six hours, waiting to receive a phone call on her status, we tried multiple times to call the emergency room and never could get a hold of anyone so I had to go up the chain of command on the first day and get the house supervisor who was initially extremely rude but when I pushed the issue, she was able to give me an update reluctantly.

The first few days were such a blur, we had to fight to get information while also taking care of my grandpa, who was sick and my mom and I both had Covid as well.
My grandma kept changing her DNR status, and most every conversation included myself and my family telling every nurse and doctor that we did not want Remdesivir. At that point, I still think we thought she was just receiving oxygen, but we had no idea what was really going on and what they were giving her. She continued to deteriorate, and the doctors offered no hope, but were insistent that she was critical, and were even pushing comfort care measures a week or two in.
On 9/9 I received a FaceTime call from the hospital/nurse and entire intubation team stating that she was tired, and that her lungs needed to rest, and that they were intubating her. I was a wreck and crying and upset, and was trying to pray and talk with my grandma. I had no idea that her o2 sat was actually 88 to 90 at the time of intubation.

Our family wasn’t given informed consent and I know my grandma was so exhausted at that point that I’m not sure if she even consented either. From that moment on, she was sent to the ICU and then she was put on a slew of different medications. We had to fight constantly to get information, I made that my full-time job, and for a month straight, I called morning, noon and night. I was talked down, I was demeaned and was refused information on my grandma‘s care and condition multiple times. We fired one of the nurses because he was so rude and refused to even give me her oxygen FiO2 when I called. We were put on hold for 30 to 40 minutes at a time and hung up on. I had to frequently get the house supervisor and charge nurse involved just to make sure that adequate care was being provided. We were fought on basic life saving medications like vitamin C, zinc, and budesonide. We were refused access to her, we couldn’t visit.

My mom and grandpa, her husband of 60 years, were allowed 15 minutes with no privacy or curtain pull at all around day 20. They could hardly even touch her due to how she was positioned. My mom and uncle, the only two siblings, had to decide between the two of them who would get to see her and say goodbye. It was disgusting. At that time, we had no idea that that was our only and final visitation. Even when they continuously said that she was dying, they refused us seeing her and saying goodbye. On 9/30/21, we received a call from the attending physician saying that she was dying and that they didn’t think she was going to be alive by 3pm that day so our family drove straight to the hospital. My uncle was almost arrested from trying to get into see her. They sent a few people out to pacify us and told us that they would call me the next morning to discuss the visitation. That phone call never came.

She passed that next day. She passed on 10/2/21 at 1am. I had a phone call with the nurse that night around 11 PM and he said that her oxygen saturation was improving as well as her heart rate, we were praising the Lord for answered prayers and a miracle. But, while still on the phone, sharing the good news with my mom, I received a call from the attending physician saying that she was dying and that we needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible….we had just been there, and they refused to let us in!! My uncle and aunt rushed down there, which took 45 minutes to get there, and as they were walking in the door, I got a call from the nurse saying that she had passed. Somewhere within one hour time, she had improved, and then she had died. They said that they gave her multiple rounds of epinephrine but that her heart stopped. When my aunt and uncle arrived to the hospital, they let them in, and she was laying without any equipment or tape or anything on her. They are liars.

We had no voice, and she had no voice, she was medicated initially in the ER, and was refused, appropriate and adequate treatment and communication. She was forgotten. From the very beginning, they said that she had multi system organ failure, and that she was dying before she even had any discrepancies with her labs. She only needed oxygen. Even though we vehemently said, no remdesivir, a progress note stated on 9/12 that she was given baricitinib and remdesivir. Also, upon receiving her chart, she received tocluzimab as well. We were never able to see her body, even at the funeral home, and even at the graveside when we were begging to see her.

We fought with all we had but were only given a fraction of true information on her condition. After receiving her charts, we found out that she had pressure injuries that were extremely severe, her arm was black and blue, and she wasn’t appropriately taken care of. The attitude of the doctors was flippant and rude and apathetic. They were constantly pushing “comfort care” which was killing her/allowing her to die. The hospital systems, administrations and pharmaceutical companies are evil and corrupt. They are incentivizing murder.

We will never stop fighting for justice and for truth!!! We will never forget.
Admin 9/1/21
Passed 10/2/21