DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.- The first and last time Don Murkerson saw his 26-year-old daughter, Emily, at Halifax Health Medical Center after being in the hospital for seven days, when his center stopped working.
“It’s a terrible situation,” Murkerson said, “I couldn’t see her until we got a call and she was dying.”
On April 29, Emily crossed the street with her boyfriend on a motorized scooter near the Hard Rock Hotel in Daytona Beach when she crashed into a car, according to her mother, Gale Murkerson, and was taken to Halifax Health Medical Center with several fractures.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Halifax Health had strict policies for Emily visiting stays in April and early May. Critical care patients were not allowed to get visits according to federal and state guidelines, spokesman John Guthrie wrote in an emailed statement.
“Our policy at Halifax Health, sticking to HIPAA rules, is to comment on patient care,” Guthrie said.”At any time during the crisis, Halifax Health has become attached and will continue to comply with CDC rules for patient and equipment safety.
Visitor restrictions at state hospitals were popular in April and early May.AdventHealth hospitals in Volusia and Flagler counties also did not allow patients to receive visits during this period.
Now Don and Gale are angry that they had no chance of spending time with their daughter and her during the painful last week of their lives.
“I know we’re not the only ones in this position,” Don said.”I don’t see the challenge with who’s in that kind of condition with those kind of vital decisions to have a user there.Gale would have stayed.
Emily, who lived in Gainesville with her mother, never lost consciousness of the accident, according to Gale, but was essentially motionless.His femur, pelvis, ribs and shoulder blade were damaged, his entire right side was covered in burns on the road and he may not have endured any of his limbs.
When he first entered, Gale tried to stop at her, but refused because of hospital policies.Emily operated twice, once on April 29 and once on May 1.
Even her boyfriend, Sebastian Wilbanks, who there at the time of the accident did not allow her to see her.
“When I showed up after the accident, I had my mask and latex gloves in my hand and was denied any stopovers because of COVID-19,” said Wilbanks, a member of the U.S. Air Force stationed in Italy in an email..” I told them I was more than willing to get tested whenever I could see her.I got fired.
When Emily transferred from the intensive care unit to a normal hospital room on 3 May, Gale allowed her daughter to be seen.But only for an hour. Her father and boyfriend were not allowed to stop at her.
“He may lift his right arm slightly to have a glass of water,” Gale said, “he said it wasn’t critical.”
Based on the verbal exchange with her daughter, Gale thought she was getting better and was relieved.
But the following week, Emily sent her mom several messages asking her to go with her, that everything hurt her, and that she needed her mom.
But all of Gale can simply call the hospital for updates on their daughter’s care.You’re not allowed to come back.
“On Tuesday morning, she calls me crying.” They took my painkillers with them.It hurts. I want you here. I want you here, ” said Gale.”She couldn’t do anything. If anything was out of reach, I was absolutely helpless.
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On Wednesday, Gale won what would be his daughter’s call-up.
“When I spoke to her Wednesday morning, she was short of breath, she was nauseous,” Gale said. “At that moment, he said,” Mom, I have to go. I do not feel well “.
Later that day, on May 6, they won the call Emily had sucked and coded several times and said they had to come and say goodbye.
“It’s the worst thing I’ve ever had in my life, to know that she was there begging me several times: “Mom, I love you.”You put it there, you accept as truth with them to take care of her and that’s what’s happening,” Gale said.”No one is protecting those patients.”
Gale, Don and Wilbanks arrived while their daughter was coding, but only Don and Wilbanks remained Emily’s death.His official cause of death was pneumonia and aspiration.
“I couldn’t stay until she died, ” said Gale.” And then they put their belongings together and escorted us.That’s what it was.”
The Murkerons their daughter as a “beacon” – someone who would give others the blouse on their back.After her death, her circle of relatives said they had gained messages from many others that she had no concept Emily knew, saying she had kept them and helped them through difficult times in their lives.
“She has been the brightest and happiest, ” said Gale.”He was laughing.”
She’s an animal lover, according to Don.I also enjoyed with young people and hunting in advance to have an aunt.
“She’s so excited to have a blood nephew and I hate not being able to see what kind of aunt it would have been for him,” Don said.”It bothers me a lot.”
By March, he had reconnected with Wilbanks, whom he had since the first year.
“She nevertheless discovered the love of her life, ” said Gale.”He would go home after being on leave abroad.She was the happiest of her life. She said, “I have discovered my eternity.”
“Our lives have been wonderful in combination,” Wilbanks said.”Pass each and every moment in combination while I’m on leave.The longest time we were separated while she was in the hospital for the seven days.”
The Murkersons know they’re not the only ones who haven’t gone to see their partner while they were in the hospital, and they don’t need anyone to go where they went.
“My healthy 26-year-old daughter, yes, had serious injuries, but she never lost consciousness.He was fine. Then she coded and the next thing you know she’s dead,” she said.”I don’t need this for anyone else. No mom or circle of family members has had to feel this pain.I’ve never noticed anything like it.”
Follow Nikki Ross on Twitter: @NikkiInRealLife