A 24 year old Indigenous Canadian woman named Heather Winterstein died of sepsis after ER staff dismissed her repeatedly and labeled her as a homeless addict. There’s an inquest into her death that shows her falling to the floor in the ER and still being ignored. Bias, bigotry, misogyny and racism can determine the care you receive in the hospital . I was Heather’s age when I experienced a life threatening complication after my hysterectomy Like her I was sent home from the ER multiple times Told I was exaggerating. Attention seeking Deemed a trouble maker On my fourth visit my then boyfriend had to carry me in because I couldn’t even sit up He had to raise his voice and cause a scene He said he was refusing to take me home to die, and he firmly believed that’s what would happen Triage called security who threatened to call police They would rather arrest him than treat me Thankfully a doctor heard him yelling and came to look in on me and instantly realized something was wrong Within hours I was being rushed to a larger hospital for emergency surgery I had been bleeding internally the entire time and developed a huge infected abscess Had they treated me earlier, my survival odds would have been much better Instead I very nearly lost my life and ended up spending a month in the hospital I was one of the lucky ones No one’s survival should ever be based on luck, race, money or privilege Yet more often than not those things determine who lives and who dies My heart is heavy for Heather and all who knew and loved her We must do better We must believe and listen to patients We must strive to treat everyone equally https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/livestory/heather-winterstein-inquiry-st-catharines-indigenous-9.7167775 #disability #chronicillness #ableism #eugenics #healthcare #bias