Woman who was transferred from hospital by taxi dies

NEW WATERFORD – The 92-year old woman who was transferred from Glace Bay Hospital to Cape Breton Regional Hospital by taxi, while showing signs of medical distress, has died.

Stella Freda Young of New Waterford, who went by Freda, died in palliative care at the regional at 11:45 p.m. on Wednesday.

On Oct. 1, her son, Joe Young, called an ambulance for his mom because she wasn’t feeling well and started throwing up. Freda had a history of heart problems and had a clogged heart valve.

They were taken to the Glace Bay Hospital and admitted to the emergency room. At 4 a.m. on Oct. 2, Freda was released because tests showed she hadn’t had a heart attack at that point.

While waiting for a taxi, Freda complained of chest and arm pain. The ER staff didn’t readmit her for examination and gave Joe the option to be sent to the regional. He chose that.

At about 7 a.m. Glace Bay ER staff said they couldn’t send them by ambulance and called a taxi. At the regional, she was admitted to ER where the doctor confirmed she had a heart attack sometime before arriving.

Joe thinks his mother might still be alive is she had gotten faster medical attention. He said he will continue to look into the issue and press the government for changes to the health care system in Cape Breton so another person doesn’t have to go through what his mother did.