Nurse’s lawyer disputes account of patient’s death

Deanna Leblanc was taken off life support without a doctor’s approval

After nurse Joanna Flynn took Michael Leblanc’s wife off life support on March 2, 2014, she told him she was sorry for his loss and hugged him, Leblanc testified Monday. At the time he had no idea something had gone wrong.

Deanna Leblanc, 39, had been taken off life support by Flynn without the authorization of a doctor at the Georgian Bay General Hospital — a fact admitted at Flynn’s manslaughter trial in Barrie.

“I didn’t think there would be an investigation,” defence lawyer Samantha Peeris quoted Leblanc as saying after charges were laid in April 2015. “I didn’t realize anybody had done anything wrong.”

Flynn, 51, is on trial for manslaughter and criminal negligence causing death, accused of causing Deanna Leblanc’s death by taking her off life support without a doctor’s permission after coercing consent from Michael Leblanc. She has pleaded not guilty.

On Monday, Flynn’s lawyer disputed Michael’s testimony that Flynn pressured him into making a quick decision to take his wife off life support.

Peeris also challenged his testimony that Flynn told him he could either have his wife die peacefully or watch her heart explode and that the first time he learned that Deanna was brain-dead and on life-support was from Flynn.

Michael, 51, testified last week that a doctor had told him not to give up hope and stressed that Deanna was young and strong.

Instead, Peeris suggested that multiple doctors and nurses had told Michael that Deanna had suffered severe brain damage and that she was both brain-dead and unresponsive. A doctor, she suggested, told Michael there was no hope.

Michael said he was told Deanna had suffered brain damage, possibly severe brain damage, but until Flynn no one had told him she would not recover.

Peeris suggested that after Flynn started her night shift at 7 p.m., she pulled Michael away to talk to him about a do-not-resuscitate order.

Michael told Flynn that he was just waiting for another family member to arrive to say his goodbyes before “pulling the plug,” Peeris said. Michael said he did not say that. When Michael and Deanna’s two teenage sons came to say their goodbyes that evening, Peeris said Flynn reassured them that Deanna was in no pain.

“When Flynn came back into the room she suggested to you that you sleep on your decision and that you should revisit it with the doctor . . . in the morning,” Peeris said. Michael said that didn’t happen. Peeris suggested that Flynn again asked if Michael needed more time to think about it, and that Michael responded that he was sure. Michael denied this. All he said he recalled saying to Flynn about deciding to take Deanna off life support was: “OK” or nodding his head.

Deanna Leblanc died at 8:15 p.m. after being admitted to the hospital early on the morning of the same day with her vital signs absent, the jury has heard.

It took two-and-a-half hours to resuscitate her, an emergency room doctor has testified.

The trial continues.