A Woman’s Family Reported Her Missing. Her Body Was in Hospital Storage, Lawsuit Says.
In a shocking revelation, the family of a 31-year-old woman named Jessie Peterson claims they were not informed of her death by a hospital in California, believing her to be alive and missing for almost a year. This harrowing account resurfaced in a recent lawsuit filed by the deceased woman’s mother and sisters against the responsible hospital.
A Heartbreaking Mix-up
According to the lawsuit, Peterson had been admitted to a hospital located in Carmichael, a suburb of Sacramento, for treatment in April 2023. However, upon her death, her family was left uninformed. To add insult to injury, the lawsuit states that Peterson’s mother was misinformed that her daughter had been discharged against medical advice.
“We’re still very sad, and we still don’t have any answers,” a visibly upset Ginger Congi, Peterson’s mother, expressed. She continues, “It’s hard to not be angry.”
Last Spoken Words
The last time Congi conversed with her daughter was on April 8, 2023, when Peterson expressed her desire to be picked up from the hospital. Peterson, who was admitted to the hospital two days earlier due to a diabetic episode, tragically died less than 2 hours post this phone call. The lawsuit alleges her body was moved to a cold storage facility the following day, unbeknownst to her grieving family.
Ginger Congi made an enquiry at the hospital on April 11, 2023, asking to speak to her daughter. However, she was informed that there was no patient under her daughter’s name. Subsequent queries led to the misinformation that her daughter had left the hospital against medical consultation.
Institution in Question
The hospital in question, Mercy San Juan Medical Center, falls under the Dignity Health’s domain and is owned by CommonSpirit Health. While Dignity Health refrained from commenting on the ongoing lawsuit, they expressed their “deepest sympathies to the family during this challenging period.”
A Lingering Question and a Plea for Answers
Left with little more than unanswered questions and the bitter memory of loss, the Peterson family continues their pursuit for just answers. Their lawsuit stands as a highlighting beacon on possible negligence and misinformation about their daughter’s tragic death.
