Our Stories
My name is Catherine J. Reuter-Lake I am the daughter of Catherine Reuter. Outlined is my experience with the Medical profession. During this ordeal I was my mother’s advocate, her eyes, her ears, and her voice. My mother had a Trach, she unable to speak at times. My mother was legally blind, and lost further vision after being set on fire. The number of infections and the large doses of antibiotics affected my mother’s hearing.
In a country of such wealth as the United States it is hard to believe these types of events occur with no consequences from government agencies.
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On December 31, 2002 my mother sustained second and third degree burns to the right side of her face and back. This event occurred in a Washington D.C facility during a Tracheotomy procedure. A skin prep solution was used which is over seventy percent alcohol base. Once the Bovie (Cautery) was introduced the alcohol vapors ignited on my mother causing the damage you are viewing today.
- She was treated for her burns which caused renal failure due to the amount of fluid and protein needed to heal the burns. She sustained multiple infections that almost killed her at times. She also underwent debridement of her burns a painful procedure to remove the dead skin.
- On February 28, 2003 my mother was transferred to APRU (Acute Pulmonary Rehab Unit) at Virginia Hospital Center. My mother remained on prolonged Ventilation due to multiple infections, and complications from the burns. In April of 2004 my mother was removed from the Ventilator and able to breathe on her own with oxygen.
- In May of 2004 my mother was transferred to Western Maryland Hospital Center in Hagerstown Maryland. This is a state facility that supposedly specialized in chronic illness level of Care. In August of 2004 my mother sustained a broken arm at this facility. The nursing manager Linda Zittle a state employee photographed the bruises which she stated are consistent with grabbing a patient roughly. Through all of this my mother was a bed ridden patient, and relied on others for assistance. The facility licensed by the state of Maryland, and accredited by JACHO decided they could no longer treat my mother because her white count went to 31.
- In August 2004 my mother was admitted to A Maryland Hospital in per the request of Western Maryland Hospital Center. During my mothers stay at this facility there were many errors such as no call light left with my Mother, IV placed in arm where fistula existed for dialysis despite signs in her room warning not to do this, overdosed on wrong amount of insulin, sugar dropped to 58, Doctor discontinuing tube feed because of nausea, and made no provisions to keep the diabetic patients sugar stabilized.
- On December 17, 2004 my mother was found dead by her nurse at this Maryland Hospital. My mother was left on an oxygen tank from her transport back from dialysis that was empty. Nobody connected her back to the wall oxygen, and she was unable to speak without a speaking valve, and no call light was provided. My Mother Died, and her nurse got a week of Paid Vacation
( Administrative leave).
Click here to learn more about surgical fires
Dear Mr. Bennett,
My sweet husband of 32 years, Bob Davis, died from this same horrific, painful, tortuous
death on November 25, 2005 from bacterial sepsis due to the hospital's and
surgeon's errors. He had elective laproscopic sigmoid colon surgery on November
7th due to a diverticular abscess about 1 inch in size. He was treated with
antibiotics for two months prior to the surgery. He was doing poorly from the
onset after the surgery, complaining of abdominal pain, fevers of 103, could not
speak above a whisper. Despite all these obvious symptoms of an infection (a
nurse wrote "infection???" in his medical records), another doctor released Bob
without even an antibiotic. Bob was rushed back to the hospital a day and a
half later via ambulance with a WBC of 41,000 (normal is about 4,000 - 6,000).
He was obviously septic, delirious, and he said his pain level was 10 out of
10. A CT scan showed a small bowel obstruction that burst leaking poison into
his abdominal cavity causing peritonitis. The surgeon siphoned 2 1/2 liters of
some type of liquid through his nose, and then waited 15 hours to re-operate on
him to try to "find" the infection. He was also given the wrong blood type
which caused a seizure after the 2nd surgery, and then when two nurses said he
was "turning the corner;" the hospital's surgerical staff decided to operate a
3rd time to try to "find" the infection. His autopsy showed herpes lesions
throughout his esophagus, and I distinctly remember seeing these lesions on his
lips after the surgery. (He never had a fever blister in his life). I tried to
inquire about "What went wrong?" and the hospital patient advocate casually
told me that infections are part of the inherent risks of getting surgery. I
asked the surgeon how his small intestine became blocked, and he said it came
from adhesions. Bob never had any other prior surgery in his life. They never
found what caused the infection, but Bob died 7 days later blown up with liquids
causing weight gain from 185 lbs to 260 lbs when the coroner picked him up at
the airport to funeralize him here in PA. The story does not end here, but the
bottom line is that my family spent Thanksgiving at the ICU, while he was
dying, and shopped for funeral clothes and had no Christmas joy.
Sincerely,
Linde Davis
(still crying every day)
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On April 17, 2006 Nile Calvin Moss became one of thousands of people who will contract and die this year from an infection caused by MRSA. Like most Americans, We had never heard of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus), until our healthy, fifteen-year-old-son Nile, contracted and succumbed to the infection in less than 72 hours from the first sign of a fever.
Nile was born with a condition called hydrocephalus, which required two major brain surgeries (one to install a shunt and one to remove it forever) and four corrective eye surgeries. For fifteen years, we made annual and sometimes daily visits to hospitals, radiologists and neurologists for check ups and preventative tests. His health was restored and Nile lived a high functioning, joy-filled life.
Nile lived by Faith every minute of every day of his life.
He accomplished so much in a short time.
He made the Honor Roll and became an accomplished artist.
Nile's life focused on having fun and making everything an adventure. Even a simple visit Target or the grocery store was exciting and fun.
He lived each day as it was the only day.
He deeply loved his family and friends.
Every day, when he returned home from school he would yell out,
" I had such a great day!!"
Each morning he would awake at 5 a.m. with a smile from ear to ear and he would say: "what are we going to do today?"
As I named the list one by one Nile would reply "and then what?" "and then what"?.
As if each second of each day needed to be filled with adventure.
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He traveled the world from Montana to Hawaii, to Spain from Paris
to Orlando Florida and back to Spain and back to Hawaii.
He loved attending the annual Grammy Awards, concerts and parties.
He loved play the keyboards, and to sing and dance in front of large crowds or on his Barn porch in the back yard
Nile deeply loved his family and friends and had a passion for all music. Especially Hilary Duff, Carlos Santana and Raven Symone.
He loved applesauce, M&M's pb&j's, chocolate cupcakes
a chocolate doughnut on Sundays and his horse Tex.
Nile loved every day but his very favorite day was Friday.
Everyday was a great day for Nile and Nile made everyday a great day for all of us.
Nile taught us appreciation, love, strength, faith, creativity, gratitude, goodness, kindness, joy, perfection, beauty, adventure,
and above all he showed us how to be fearless.
He was never afraid, he trusted in God and in the skills and talents of all of the kind caregivers he met throughout his life. He loved all the nurses, doctors, specialists, OT, PT, Speech pathologists. They all loved him as well.
It's a shame that the very people that are here to care for and help to heal are also kept in the dark about this deadly, debilitating infection.
In Nile’s last hours he was surrounded by 8 pretty blond nurses laughing and joking. As they wheeled him into PedsICU. Nile filled the whole room with his laughter and stories that included only the joy of living life.
He shared his favorite trips to Hawaii through the breathing mask that simply could not do the trick. None of us had any idea that Nile's last breaths would be measured in hours and minutes from that ride from the Pediatric unit to Pediatric ICU.
Never, in those 15 years as “frequent-flyers” of the medical establishment, were we informed about the risk of contracting a Hospital Acquired Infection, such as MRSA, as Nile was treated or tested. Nor, (as parents of a high school student,) were we ever informed about the increasing rate of Community Acquired MRSA that has begun to infect young people in our schools.
We did not learn of MRSA from the after hours children’s clinic in Mission Viejo California where we took Nile at the first sign of a high fever. The doctors prescribed antibiotics commonly used to treat the bacteria related to Strep, even though they were unable to confirm a positive readout on the Strep test.. they prescribed a Z pack of antibiotics Erythromycin which is ineffective in treating MRSA.
A swab of Nile’s nose to test for the presence of MRSA may have saved time and uncovered this deadly infection in the early hours of his fever.
No tests were implemented for MRSA, on Easter morning when Nile was admitted to the hospital with a high fever and difficulty breathing.
We finally learned of MRSA when a raging fever and blood poisoning led to Nile’s death less than 24 hours after he was admitted to the hospital. Three days later, we received the diagnosis and learned about MRSA for the first time.
In the days and weeks that followed, we learned more about the size of this epidemic. We learned that over 105 thousand people died of MRSA last year. Over 2 million people loose limbs or are severely damaged by its affects. We learned that there is a vaccine for MRSA and that there is an antibiotic that can treat MRSA and it takes 24 to 48 hours to take affect.
There is an increased risk to hospital patients, children and others in the community. We also learned that awareness of this infection is very low.
No one had informed us that the recent visits to 2 Children's hospitals in Orange County for a series of test could have been the very site for the onset of this fatal MRSA infection.
We share the goodness of Nile and the experience of his last days in an effort to help create awareness of this fatal outbreak that can be stopped.
We have the knowledge to prevent hospital infections.
Clearly, Nile is evidence to this he received medical treatment all of his life for 15 years and not once did he have the complications of infections.
Through
increased education about prevention alternatives, improve the diagnostic tools, and support legislation to disclose infection rates in our hospitals and communities.
We will be part of the solution to help eliminate MRSA infections from the community and hospitals in a manner that best exemplifies Nile’s joy for life and passion for music.
For Example
“Celebrate Life” is the name of a CD under production that includes songs written and performed by professional musician friends as a tribute to Nile’s life. It also includes a piano loop played by Nile during one of his music lessons in his father’s recording studio.
Ty has been a percussionist for forty years and has been awarded several gold and platinum albums for songs he authored and performed.
Their campaign, called “Nile’s Project “will offer public concerts, community awareness and participation events to raise funds to support education about MRSA and Health Care improvement efforts.
Please enjoy the lyrics below written within a matter of hours of Niles friends learning of his rise to Heaven.
They will give you an even better understanding of Nile and the blessing he is and will always be.
Ty and Carole Moss
Nile’s Song #1
Nile we will miss you but we know you’re doing fine
And the love that you’ve lefts us will warm our hears in time
We can’t touch you
But we can see your face and the smile you always wore
It is in our memory now and forever more
Tell the Lord
We’re not angry that he had to take you home
You were made for heaven
And we know you’re not alone
Tell the angels as they kiss your face
Please place one for me
Hold you till we’re by your side throughout eternity
Mostly we don’t understand the things God chose to do
We can always rest assured he did the best for you
Forgive us for our selfishness we hoped to keep you here
Though you are so far away we know you’re always near
So Nile thanks for the vision you gave that shines so bright
Our lives were made better by your strong persistent light
Like the river that bears your name we know your moving on
Each day we will think of you and the music of your song
Rod McNeill Steve Campos inspired by Nile Moss
#2
Nile’s Smile (PROUD)
Jonathan Moffett November 2006
Smile,
For Everythings Alright
The light of Love is Shining
Through You,
Peace,
Your Soul is Filled with Peace
You’d Always display your smile,
Though your world was somedays Hard
To Bare Indeed
But Things are Better Now
And Your Light it shines within all Things
And From Your Place In Heaven
I know Your Smiling Down With Glee
Through the Many of Those Who Love You
We will Always Remember Nile’s Smile
PROUD
We All Stand Here Proud
For The Way You Lived Paints A View
An Example of How To Live Our Lives
Your Calm
A Spirit oh So Calm
No Complaining Anger and No Tears
Your Remained The Same Through All No Matter the Fear
Oh Innocence
Your Light is Like Sweet Whisperings
Your Earned Your Place In Heaven
and we know you'll always be Nile's Smile
#3
“Nile’s Smile” (LOVE)
On a cold and lonely evening and I’m feeling pretty low.
I’ve called all of my friends and there’s nowhere I can go.
I get back to the moment you came into my life.
Suddenly things are brighter and I can make it through this strife.
It’s your smile, It’s your smile
We all have choices to take the right or left.
Yours was to live completely and you left nothing on the shelf.
If only we could emulate the carefree way you lived
And match your simple beauty we’d have so much more to give.
It’s your smile, It’s your smile, It’s your smile, It’s your smile
Feelings sometime bring you down, especially when you’re sad.
But you lived above the clouds and proved that love can help us fly
In the not to distant future when time is king no more,
We will walk together on heavens healing shore
Most will be forgotten but some will linger still.
One thing is for certain and will be there until.
It’s your smile, Its your smile, It’s your smile, It’s your smile.
So much knowledge in your life, you’re wise beyond your years
So amazing just to see how you rose above your fears
It’s your smile, It’s your smile, It’s your smile
Nile it’s your smile
By: Rod McNeill
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