<![CDATA[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.]]>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

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/topic/591b1e2a-6c8d-4794-9397-76094b41b75c/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.RSS for NodeThu, 30 Apr 2026 17:09:20 GMTSun, 19 Apr 2026 03:23:22 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to 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. on Sun, 19 Apr 2026 05:44:19 GMT]]>@broadwaybabyto

Racism. Full on crime. Crime.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.social/users/kevinrns/statuses/116429780362109677https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.social/users/kevinrns/statuses/116429780362109677Sun, 19 Apr 2026 05:44:19 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 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. on Sun, 19 Apr 2026 05:38:20 GMT]]>@broadwaybabyto some people are disappearing with no records, like 6 COVID victims I know disappeared from a housing project that mainly houses seniors:
accurate records seem to be even more vulnerable than the victims

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://kafeneio.social/users/indyradio/statuses/116429756874871902https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://kafeneio.social/users/indyradio/statuses/116429756874871902Sun, 19 Apr 2026 05:38:20 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 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. on Sun, 19 Apr 2026 05:26:43 GMT]]>@LukefromDC @broadwaybabyto I didn't have anyone to advocate for me, so I simply went home and accepted that my life wasn't worth saving in this society. It took a year and half to figure out what my problem was on my own. All that time suffering and unsure changed me as a person.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hear-me.social/ap/users/115696907373093865/statuses/116429711184008478https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hear-me.social/ap/users/115696907373093865/statuses/116429711184008478Sun, 19 Apr 2026 05:26:43 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 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. on Sun, 19 Apr 2026 05:22:15 GMT]]>@Netraven @broadwaybabyto Anyone who has ever faced this kind of shit and made it back should learn as much self-care as they can, as it's the only kind that doesn't depend on cooperation by unknown and potentially hostile parties.

Self-care has outright saved my life at least one time, and on another occasion saved my foot. I just wish a wider variety of tests were available over the counter or at least on the grey and black market.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://kolektiva.social/users/LukefromDC/statuses/116429693617569558https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://kolektiva.social/users/LukefromDC/statuses/116429693617569558Sun, 19 Apr 2026 05:22:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 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. on Sun, 19 Apr 2026 05:14:11 GMT]]>@broadwaybabyto same thing happened to me in los angeles. I was severely malnourished and lacking potassium, though I didn't know it at the time. It was causing vasovagal syncope and as I was passing out while getting my blood drawn, the entire ER nurse staff started shouting at me to get out and I couldn't move, was sweating bullets, and freezing. I asked to please get the doctor to come back and look at me, but instead they shoved me out into the waiting room and labeled me as drug seeking. I left, and luckily survived. I figured out why I was falling down and hitting my head hard enough to bleed almost daily. But I had to do it on my own.

I don't know what the root of the problem is, or how to fix it, but I just felt like sharing my recent experience (last year). I imagine many people die this way.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hear-me.social/ap/users/115696907373093865/statuses/116429661865458366https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hear-me.social/ap/users/115696907373093865/statuses/116429661865458366Sun, 19 Apr 2026 05:14:11 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 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. on Sun, 19 Apr 2026 04:06:52 GMT]]>@broadwaybabyto
This is absolutely sickening. The poor woman. I feel bad for her family and friends.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://ottawa.place/users/Pinchy63/statuses/116429397173564601https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://ottawa.place/users/Pinchy63/statuses/116429397173564601Sun, 19 Apr 2026 04:06:52 GMT