Mom sues health authority over teen’s death

A Manitoba mother, who claims medical negligence contributed to her teenage daughter’s death, is suing a regional health authority and three health-care professionals.

The Northern Regional Health Authority, two doctors and a registered nurse are named as defendants in a suit filed by Keno Halcrow in the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench on Dec. 13.

The statement of claim says Halcrow’s 14-year-old daughter, Helena, died in a Winnipeg hospital two years ago, after being flown there by air ambulance from the Thompson hospital.

JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES

A Manitoba mother is suing a regional health authority and three health-care professionals.

The claim said the defendants, who work at the northern hospital, were “negligent in the medical attention, care, treatment and management provided to Helena.”

“Understandably, the family is devastated by their loss,” said family lawyer Martin Pollock.

The claim says Helena arrived at the hospital in Thompson on Dec. 15, 2022. She’d had fever, chills and nausea, and had been vomiting for five days. On two of those days she’d had shortness of breath and chest pain, the lawsuit said.

Helena was diagnosed with the flu and then discharged. One day later, she returned to the hospital by ambulance, it said.

“She presented to the emergency room with worsening shortness of breath, chest pain, cough with brown sputum and ongoing vomiting.”

The teen was diagnosed with an ear and respiratory infection and was prescribed antibiotics. She was treated with oxygen before being discharged for the second time, shortly before 10 p.m., the claim said.

Halcrow said her daughter was in “acute respiratory distress” at the time and required ongoing hospitalization and medical care, the claim said.

“The plaintiff claims it was reasonably foreseeable that sending Helena home would endanger her life.”

Less than 12 hours later, Helena was hospitalized via ambulance for a final time.

“Upon arrival at approximately 11 (a.m.), Helena was in critical condition having trouble breathing, a rapid heart rate, low blood pressure, vomiting blood and (with) hives on her arms,” it said.

A physician named in the suit had tried to resuscitate Helena by treating her with epinephrine and performing CPR. The suit claims more than an hour passed before the teenager was intubated.

She was airlifted to the Children’s Hospital in Winnipeg, where she was assessed for sepsis and hypovolemic shock.

Sepsis happens when a bacterial infection causes dangerously low blood pressure; hypovolemic shock is a medical emergency that occurs when a large loss of blood or fluids inhibits organs from receiving oxygen and nutrients.

Helena died the following day.