ONTARIO – An Ontario nurse is sounding the alarm about the state of healthcare and hospitals throughout the province after she says a 2-year-old died on an emergency room floor.
Registered nurse Nancy Halupa is sharing the story of a toddler who died on the floor of the emergency room at Lakeridge Health Ajax Pickering Hospital in Durham Region. She explained there were not enough stretchers or rooms for the child.
“If you’ve never heard the guttural wails that come out of a mother or a father, or grandparents, or uncle, or aunt or cousin, when they have to be told that their child – this one, in particular, was two – has died,” Halupa shared, adding that it’s a sound you will never forget.
Halupa shared the story of the first time she had to tell a father that his baby had died.
“He walked in the front door kind of happy with a stuffed animal that the baby really loved and we had to stop him before going in and tell him that his baby died,” she explained.
“So to see a big strong man like that drop to his knees and have to be picked up by two nurses just to be able to see his baby in that condition is something that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. But I really think that Doug and Sylvia need to hear it,” she continued, referring to Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones.
“Because it’s a sound that haunts me and every other nurse who has ever experienced it, and it’s a sound you’ll never forget. What is it going to take? Are we just going to downplay this as ‘oh it was just one death’?” Halupa asked.
“This baby died on the floor, on the floor of the Emergency Room because there were no stretchers. When I put my dog down it sounded more ethical and beautiful than what happened to this child,” the nurse continued, adding that the situation in Ontario hospitals is disgusting.
Hospitals “Well Passed Crisis Mode“
Halupa shared that she is frustrated with people who are not taking the problems in Ontario healthcare seriously. However, she agrees that we are no longer in “crisis mode”.
“If this is what this province thinks is not a crisis, you’re right, it’s not a crisis, we’ve moved well-passed crisis mode at this point. This is a destroyed healthcare system,” she continued.
“It’s not going to be destroyed it is destroyed,” she repeated, adding that she doesn’t know how Ontario officials sleep at night
Her video has been shared on TikTok and has garnered thousands of interactions. She is now asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step in to help hospitals.
“@JustinTrudeau you should have stepped in years ago, but now it’s a MUST. You live in this province, it ois unrecognizable now. It is destroyed and @fordnation and his entire cabinet need to go. These people are running a regime, not a province,” Halupa posted on Twitter via her account, Nurse with a Sign 416.
The Brandon Gonez Show reached out to Premier Doug Ford’s office and the Ontario Ministry of Health, who directed our team to contact the Lakeridge Health Ajax Pickering Hospital. Our team also reached out to Lakeridge Health Ajax Pickering Hospital but due to patient privacy, the hospital was unable to comment.
Ontario Reacts to News of Toddler Dying on Hospital Floor
Online many people are sharing their condolences with the family, and their frustrations with the province and the premier.
“I can’t believe we failed this poor child. I was in the ER last week and it was standing room only at times. Most patients were sick with the flu and babies or toddlers. I’ve never seen the hospital that packed in my life,” commented another.
“Let’s not forget the $900milliom the ford government has and refuses to spend for health care. Money that’s supposed to go to health care. They’re intentionally tanking the healthcare system to open the doors to privatized healthcare,” someone else pointed out.
While others are calling out Ontarians for voting for another four years of Ford.
“Doug Ford was showing us who he was before this last election. He’s been attacking the Healthcare system for years now. He’s literally been attacking nurses, cutting funds, capping salaries. The nurses were burning out during COVID. We had an opportunity to get Ford out. And yet, we set an all time low for voting,” said one person, adding that people need to vote for change.
And people in the area are sharing their experiences at the same hospital where the toddler allegedly died.
“Ajax hospital is thee absolute worst hospital in regards to treatment. I’ve heard SO many stories AND experienced it for myself. The doctor was half way out of the door while telling me I was fine. I then admitted myself into Centenary (in Scarborough), same day, and was admitted IMMEDIATELY with high blood pressure and HEART FAILURE!!!!!!!!” said one person on Instagram.
“I’ve had horrible experiences at that hospital along with many other people I know. Most people I know in Durham Region who need to go to emerg go up to Markham Stouffville Hospital,” shared another.
“Horrible to say as an Ajax resident, I have taken both my 5year old and my now 10month old to Markham Stouffville in the past year for this very reason as I was not waiting on staff to figure out the well-being of my kids, so I left and went to a hospital that has always better accommodated young children in my opinion,” a parented commented.
Let’s leave some love for the family below and let us know in the comments, how do you think Ontario should address the healthcare crisis?
3 Responses
Horrible what happened to this family. we have money to donate for other priorities outside our country but not to fix our healthcare and educational priorities in our own country to provide a better future.
I used to be so proud of our Healthcare System and now I am so disgusted in it. I am a senior and have noticed since Ford has become Premier things are quickly changing. Bit by bit my medications are not covered any more. My father in law was told to go to the Markham Stouffville Hospital when he had chest pains last month because he would be sitting in Lakeridge, Oshawa all day before anyone would be able to see him.
This is absolutely disgusting, what else can you say, sure maybe there were a lot of people there, but a 2 year old is very vulnerable to colds and flu and should have looked at.