A preventable death?

Death isn't new to our work on the ground and with the demographic we work with.

The heartbreak the families, friends, and those of us who love them go through every time someone passes feels unbearable in the moment, and some feelings linger for a long time after.

This time, it goes beyond lifestyle or struggles in their life.

They got released from Jail in November. They tried to get the meds they were on the entire time in jail, but they couldn't. Nothing was sent to the pharmacy. They had no family doctor.

They were just trying to make it through so they could move out of town to be with their child. Get their life back on track.

They joined us to help with the work we were doing in the community. They set a date to leave town.

Then they started to feel off. They came to us and asked what they should do. We told them to go to the hospital, 6th floor, or the mobile care van. We offered to go with them. They wouldn't go to the hospital for the long list of reasons why most of ours refuse to go there.

They went to the mobile care van; they couldn't give them meds without them having a way to monitor their blood pressure and glucose levels.

They were on OW, so they reached out to their worker to get those monitors paid for. OW stated they needed a doctor's note. They do not have a family doctor.

4 days later, their roommate was performing CPR on their best friend, who wasn't breathing and had no heartbeat.

They were taken to the hospital and put in the ICU on life support. By that afternoon, the doctors said that there was no brain activity.

The next day, they were taken off life support with family by their side.

Had there been more checks and balances, would they still be with us? Would this be one less family grieving, one less life lost, one less friend still walking by our sides?

As we grieve another loss, we are asking what was missed? What gaps need to be filled, and how do we fill them?