(914) 220-1086In a stunning and tragic case out of Florida, a new mother passed away after four medics allegedly told the woman she could not afford an ambulance ride. The woman, Crystle Galloway, had recently given birth to a son via C-section a few days before the event. According to Galloway’s mother, Nicole Black, Galloway was found slumped over in the bathroom and immediately called 911. According to Black, she told the emergency dispatcher that something was wrong, but that her daughter was still breathing
When the medics arrived later, Black says they told her that Galloway had suffered a stroke. Then, amazingly, told her that she could not afford a ride to the hospital in an ambulance and proceeded to “buckle-up” Galloway in her mother’s vehicle. Speaking to ABC Action News, Black says, “They never asked us if we had insurance, which we do.” She continued, “The whole conversation as the EMS put my child in the car was that was best for us because we couldn’t afford an ambulance. My daughter begged for her life, she begged!”
After the medics put Galloway into Black’s vehicle, they made their second mistake. According to the County Administrator, they did not properly log Black into the system or ask Galloway to fill out an “Informed Consent” document. Upon arriving at Tampa General hospital, Galloway fell into a coma and passed away a few days later.
Black believes the medics who were sent to her home were both incompetent and discriminated against her by assuming she could not afford an ambulance. She says she would like to see all four medics fired and that apologies by the hospital and city of Tampa are insufficient, “She’s 30 years old and just graduated from college, she had her whole life ahead of her. You can tell me you’re sorry, you can give m your condolences, but you still have to work this out with God.”
A disciplinary hearing has been scheduled for later this month to determine the fate of the four medics.
