Man's Wife Meets Early Demise, Then He Noticed Hospital Staff Acting 'Off'
When Peter DeMarco lost his wife Laura Levin to an asthma attack, his grief was overwhelming. Days spent in the hospital with Laura hooked up to machines, only to experience an earth-shattering loss, was too much to bear. Peter thanked the hospital for their tenderness and care during the roughest time of his family’s lives. But within a few months, a larger picture of Laura’s final moments came to light and it showed the hospital had a much bigger role in what should have been a preventable tragedy.
Morning Of The Incident
Laura was alone in the early morning hours on the day of her fatal incident. She and Peter were taking time away to work on their marriage, going to counseling, and living separately. In an apartment by herself, Laura awoke sometime near four am and realized she was having an asthma attack.
Healthy Life
As an asthmatic, Laura always carried an inhaler. She was cautious in treating her symptoms and knew how to manage them while maintaining an active lifestyle. As a passionate weight-lifter and hiker who worked out six days a week, she had a handle on living life with asthma. So when she woke up experiencing an asthma attack, she knew what to do.
Tragic Circumstances
Thankfully, Laura's apartment was conveniently located right near Somerville Hospital. So, she decided to walk there. She had to know the severity of her attack, but she probably thought she'd get her usual nebulizer treatment and a dose of the medication prednisone and feel good as new. She believed she had enough time to reach help on foot. What could go wrong?
Never Reached Help
Laura did everything right in her search for medical assistance. She climbed the hill up to the hospital on foot and at some point, she dialed 911. Somewhere during her attempt to reach help, her asthma attack crossed over from a minor issue to a life-threatening problem. Despite her proximity, the help she needed never arrived.
