Sadie Bell says her husband died in a parking lot because he was refused medical treatment from a Missouri hospital.
Earlier this month, David Bell, 39, passed away outside Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Peters after making his third visit to the facility, his wife told news station KMOV 4.
According to Sadie, her husband had been experiencing extreme chest pains and was brought to the emergency room twice. Both times she said doctors prescribed Ibuprofen and sent him home.
After returning to his job as board director at Central County Fire & Rescue (CCFR), David began having difficulty breathing and was rushed back to the hospital by colleagues.
“I called his fireman, because one of his firemen took him. I said, ‘Which hospital did you take him to?’” Sadie told the outlet. “He said, ‘I went on and took him back to Barnes-Jewish because I know that’s where you all had been going.’ I said, ‘Oh, I just wish you wouldn’t have took him there.’”
"He said, 'Why not?' and I said, 'Every time that we have taken him, all they did was give him Ibuprofen and sent him home, and I'm really thinking they are missing something,'" Sadie added.
She arrived at the hospital to find her husband sitting outside in a wheelchair. Sadie asked doctors to run tests on her husband, but was allegedly told, “ma’am he’s already been here twice for the same thing and we’ve already diagnosed him."
While making their way back to the car, David collapsed and a stranger attempted to revive him by administering CPR. But it was too late and he passed away in the parking lot on January 12th.
"I don't know what they thought and I just don't understand why they wouldn't help him," Sadie said of the hospital staff to KMOV. "I don't want any family to feel what we're feeling right now."
While Barnes-Jewish Hospital wouldn’t comment on details of the case citing patient privacy laws, they released the following statement to People: "Our thoughts are with the family after this loss, as well as with the entire Central County Fire & Rescue team.”
A GoFundMe has been set up for the Bell family and has helped raise more than $39,000.
In addition to Sadie, David is survived by three children under the age of 15.
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