Helen Joseph Hospital
Death of our dear Cecilia Cornelia Oberholze

Our mother/mother in-law, sister, aunt and grandmother was brought to H.J.H.by ambulance at approx 00h30 on 24th April 2013 suffering from excruciating pain in her lower abdomen, She was left outside theatre & finally taken into surgery later that day at 13h00 (over 12 hrs later). It was discovered that a toxin had killed & ultimately ruptured the stomach, esophagus and large intestine causing leakage and acidosis in the abdomen. (The surgeons were of the opinion that she had deliberately ingested such a toxin - this we know not true as she was extremely religious and would never have taken her own life as she believed she would then not go to Heaven). During surgery to remove the "dead stomach" the spleen was somehow damaged and also had to be removed. Since then she had been in Adult ICU remained critically unstable. She was resuscitated 7/8 times resulting in extensive brain damage. We opted to desist treatment as a result of the extensive physical damage. Although we were very happy with some attending physicians in ICU, we feel that she should never have died. That she would have survived if she had been diagnosed correctly & rushed to surgery immediately. We intend to sue.

Company: Helen Joseph Hospital
Country: South Africa
City: Auckland Park

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