Tashonna Ward from Milwaukee walked into the hospital to receive help after experiencing shortness of breath. What she didn’t expect is to have to wait until her final breath was gone.
According to USA Today, the 25-year-old complained of chest pain and tightness of breath before collapsing.
Tashonna Ward spent more than two hours at Froedtert Hospital on Jan. 2, reports say, before she tried to leave to find medical assistance elsewhere. It is unclear whether or not she was seen by a doctor during that time. Allegedly, hospital staff checked her heartbeat and performed a chest X-ray that revealed cardiomegaly. This is also known as an enlarged heart. Staff then asked the young woman, who worked as a daycare teacher, to remain in the waiting room until she could be seen by somebody. The family says her condition was not being monitored at the time.
“I really hope I’m not in this emergency room all night,” was Tashonna’s Facebook post.
An hour later she texted family to let them know that she was still there. An hour after that communication, Ward turned back to Facebook to post this message:
“Idk what they can do about the emergency system at freodert (sic) but they damn sure need to do something. I been here since 4:30 something for shortness of breath, and chest pains for them to just say it’s a two to SIX hour wait to see a dr.”
Tashonna’s cousin Andrea Ward, used information to piece together her the events leading up to Tashonna’s death. The timeline revealed that she had been waiting hours and adding frustration to her health.
Due to delay of assistance Tashonna’s sister who initially drove her to get help, picked her up to take her to Urgent Care. Not long after Tashonna Ward collapsed. Ward collapsed and was put in an ambulance to go back to the hospital. Upon arrival, Ward, who had suffered from an enlarged heart during her pregnancy with a baby that died at birth, was determined to be unresponsive and soon after, pronounced dead.
Froedert Hospital released a statement saying, “The family is in our thoughts and has our deepest sympathy.” They also added that they could not comment further on Ward’s death.
The family is set to meet with the hospital. In the meanwhile, those close to the young woman are calling on the hospital to change their emergency department procedures, so no other family or an ailing patient has to go through the same set of circumstances. A GoFundMe has been created to help with what her cousin has named, “Tashonna’s Final Farewell.”
