The family of a man whose life support was mistakenly turned off in a tragic case of mistaken identity are demanding answers from the hospital where he died.
David Wells, 69, was put on life support after choking on a piece of steak while eating dinner in Vancouver, Washington.
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David Wells was put on life support after choking on a piece of steak and was taken off by another family’s decisionCredit: KGW
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Debbie and Gary are told that Debbie’s brother, Michael, is brain dead and they believe they approved his death – but it was actually David WellsCredit: KGW
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PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver is now suing both families involvedCredit: Google Maps
But an alleged mix-up at the hospital led staff to contact the family of his ward roommate, Michael Beehler, 60, instead of Wells’ own relatives.
The hospital told Debbie Danielson, Michael’s sister, “He’s basically brain dead.
They asked her, “Do you want us to keep him on life support or do you want him off?”
Faced with an agonizing decision, Debbie and her husband Gary agreed to end life support.
But the man whose death they approved was not their relative – it was David, who shared the same hospital room.
Michael Beehler was actually alive and well.
There was even an incorrect notice of Michael’s death in the local paper, which read: “Michael A. Beehler, 60, Vancouver, died August 9, 2021.”
Debbie said: “That whole week was like a blur.
“I’m trying to organize a funeral, I’m notifying family members that he’s passed away.”
The following week, she received a phone call that turned her world upside down.
Nurses filmed themselves crying and scrolling on their phones as the patient prepared to take his own life
On the line was Michael, who she thought was dead.
Blind Debbie recalled saying, “You can’t be alive. You’re dead.”
The alleged confusion only came to light when Michael became confused that his cell phone service had been deactivated, so he called his family to sort it out.
Realizing the mistake, Debbie and Michael immediately contacted the police.
Debbie’s husband Gary said: “We have made life-ending decisions for someone we don’t even know.
“We never got an explanation. We never got an apology or anything.”
The error continued even after David’s death, when his body was incorrectly identified as Michael’s and sent to the funeral home.
Debbie visited the funeral home and asked if she needed to identify her brother, but was reportedly told it was not necessary.
David’s family was informed that he had passed away – but only learned of the scandal two years later.
Shawn Wells, son of David Wells, described the emotional toll of knowing that strangers had decided his father’s fate.
He said: “I have no words for how badly they handled this.
“I’ll never be able to take that decision back. It’s something I’ll carry with me forever.”
To make matters worse, Shawn discovered that his father’s organs had been donated against his will.
He said: “It’s disturbing. They dropped the ball so outrageously.
“That would be a very easily recognizable mark on his body.
“Even if there had been any confusion about his identity, I think it would have been resolved quickly.”
The families of both David and Michael are now suing PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center along with the ambulance service, the funeral home and the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office.
They accuse the services of negligence and serious emotional distress – alleging the error started with the 911 call and continued at every stage to the funeral home.
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Michael was actually alive and ended up calling his sister DebbieCredit: KGW
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David Wells’ organs were donated against his will after he was misidentifiedCredit: KGW
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David’s son Shawn said the hospital had made an ‘unbelievable’ mistakeCredit: KGW
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An incorrect death notice was even published in the newspaper Credit: KGW
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education