Fatality
Blood Clots Are Often Misdiagnosed as Pneumonia: Taylor’s Story
My 14-year-old son died. I took him to the doctors twice the same week of his death. They diagnosed him with light pneumonia in his left lung. He died less than a week later and when the autopsy came back, it showed he had blood clot in his left lung and no pneumonia. I’ve done…
She Thought She Was Protected: Jessica’s Story
As told by her sister Ashley My sister Jessica was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis that caused her to have a pulmonary embolism when she was 21 and she almost died. She had an IVC filter placed at that time, but it didn’t keep her from developing another DVT in July 2023 that caused her…
He Passed Away on the Way to the Hospital: Brian’s Story
As told by his wife, Allison In January 2017, my husband Brian and I had been married for one year, and I had just given birth to our son seven weeks earlier. Brian started mentioning that he had bad calf pain. For a man that never complained, this was odd, but I didn’t know to…
The Doctor Told Her Not to Worry: Marsha’s Story
My younger sister Marsha had many blood clots over the years. She found out that she had protein S deficiency shortly after our father died in 1998. She had veins that were painful and found a doctor who was willing to strip them (phlebectomy). Marsha asked him about her history with clots. The doctor told…
We Were Dismissed: Kaylie’s Story
As told by her mother, Tina. My daughter Kaylie passed away at the age of 21 from bilateral pulmonary emboli that had gone undiagnosed even though she had been to the doctor just three weeks prior to her death. Her symptoms were severe upper back pain near her shoulder, shortness of breath, and rapid heart…
We Assume He Had Factor V Leiden: Landon’s Story
As told by his sister, Kenzie We made a family trip from Texas to Colorado at the end of July 2022, which is an 8-9 hour drive. Landon had asthma that was triggered by cedar. Since the trip, he had some allergy symptoms but associated that with the cedar. On August 5, 2022, my brother…
Make Doctors Take Your Concerns Seriously: Gwendolyn’s Story
As told by her daughter LaKeitha My mother passed away after experiencing difficulty breathing for a week. Despite visiting the doctor, they didn’t consider a blood clot. One night, fearing the worst, my father rushed her to the hospital. Tests on her upper body led to her admission due to ongoing breathing issues. Tragically, she…
Know the Warning Signs: Pam’s Story
As told by her daughter, Kelly My mother was 54 when she passed away from a pulmonary embolism. She had fallen and broken her ankle while walking across our street to look for a Mother’s Day card for my grandmother. The break was a bad one, so the orthopedic surgeon suggested surgery. We all were…
Our Family Has a Void That Will Never Be Filled: Blake’s Story
In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving 2018, Blake was experiencing pain in his right leg, which he attributed to a pulled muscle. On Thanksgiving, he seemed to have mild cold symptoms and a slight limp. We discussed that he should go to the doctor if he didn’t feel better soon. That was the last…
Paramedics Assumed It Was Anxiety: Christina’s Story
As told by her mother, Darla My daughter, Christina, suffered a broken foot on January 6, 2015, just two weeks after her 30th birthday. The podiatrist put her in a walking boot and gave no restrictions. Christina then developed calf pain and went to the ER on January 10, 2015. The ER sent her home…