Imagine if your sibling had been ill since she was a child. Her kidney function needed monitoring. And imagine if you grew up with a sibling who, by the time she was 30 years old needed a kidney because hers was not functioning well anymore. If there was a long wait, wouldn’t you want to donate to your sister?
Anders Pederson was that kind of brother to his sister, Kelly. He didn’t hesitate to offer his kidney to his sister. So when he went to the hospital to donate his kidney, his sister was proud. The doctor told the family that the surgery went well. And when Anders woke up in the morning, he immediately went to see his sister in the hospital to tell her how happy he was to donate his kidney to her and that he loved her.
But the hospital staff wouldn’t let this beautiful act of kindness and happiness between two siblings last. Instead, according to Anders’ mother, the hospital staff did not monitor his pain medication. He went from fentanyl to dilaudid. He was vomiting and although the nurse was notified, it went unreported. Then the next morning Anders was given another dose of medication without his mother’s knowledge.
Anders’ mother went to touch him and he was cold. He had a yellow face, blue lips and he was not breathing. Anders was in a coma for 9 days and then he died. The family tried to get medical records but the hospital resisted. How could he be given so much pain medication and not checked enough?
Although the family sued and won their lawsuit against the hospital, they must live with the pain forever. Anders’ sister, Kelly knows that he gave his organ to save her but died doing so. And a parent will never be able to get over the loss of a child.
An article titled “Medical Error Reduction and Prevention” is available at the National Library of Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499956/
It references a study indicating that medical errors have been reported as the third leading cause of death in the U.S. In the U.S., medical errors are recognized as a serious public health concern.
Anders Pederson’s mother, Melissa and his sister, Kelly have shared their story and they are hoping to communicate a much needed change in the medical world. To read their story, visit The Patient Safety movement: https://psmf.org/story/anders-pederson/