Berna K. Seward

Rutland, Vermont – My mother was admitted to our community hospital for a follow up surgery recommended after a polyp was found and removed during a colonoscopy. The surgery was described as minimal and optional, with the purpose being to remove a small area around where a polyp was removed from the colon. My mother had a successful surgery and was healing. On day 3 after surgery, my sister while visiting noticed a fever and delusional verbal communication. (Sepsis and Surgery) She reported it immediately and was ignored.

On day 4, fever worsened and verbal communication became difficult. On day 5 after surgery, her organs began failing one by one and she died later that evening. I feel she died needlessly as her symptoms were not only presenting but were reported by our family early enough to save her. I worked at the hospital in the admin office at the time. I looked into their policies and procedures and found no procedural policy for nursing staff on sepsis. I advocated for one to be instituted and for this to be reported as a sentinel event. While speaking to my superiors, I received threats against my job and was told to not speak of it any further. I voluntarily left my position and still advocate for stronger policies and procedures for patients in hospital care.

Here is a picture of my dad and my mom. They were so inseparable that I feel confident that this picture illustrates her in a very accurate way. An additional piece of this horrible story is that my dad (shown here) happened to be an admitted patient in that same hospital at the time of my mother’s scheduled surgery and subsequent tragic unexpected death. He was being treated for emphysema and was admitted for a brief incident of breathing difficulty. At the time of my mother’s surgery, he was improving and was expected to be released within days. After her unexpected death, we had to tell him of her death while he was in his hospital bed. He asked if he could go too. The doctor and our family had to tell him we couldn’t do that. So, he refused further treatment and was sent home. He died at home 2 days later – after a very painful time with grief and severe symptoms. I have read his medical records and do believe that he had a good prognosis for recovery to allow his release up until the time of my mom’s death. So, in my mind, even though we knew he would never fully recover, he had more life to live, but with his other half gone, he gave up. Her sepsis ended up killing them both.

And furthering the rippling effect of an expected and unnecessary death are her clients. She was a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor – who had founded and built a non-profit organization called AIRC – Alcoholism Information and Referral Center in Rutland, VT. Upon her retirement from being the CEO, she practiced individual counseling out of her home – even up to the day of her surgery. I know she had not expected to have a problem with her surgery as she had a fully booked schedule of appointments for after her return. I know this because I had to call each person and inform them of her death. The impact of her work was far reaching in our small town. And her loss was felt by not only our family, but the countless number of people and families whose lives she impacted and would have continued to impact.
Please know that her own personal story of alcoholism and her story of recovery was printed in our local newspaper and she was very well known in our area and in her field.

I spoke with her surgeon after her untimely death (her personal physician refused to speak with me). I assured him that her unnecessary death would not be in vain. She lived her life in order to help people, and I was going to see to it that even her death would help people – because that is who she was.
Thank you for allowing me to give her story as a help for others.

Source: Mary Ann Patten, Daughter