A Nisga鈥檃 woman plans to file a lawsuit against Northern Health related to the treatment she received while giving birth to her baby last summer at the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia in Prince George.
Kristy White alleges that due to racism and mismanagement during her delivery, her child Wesley suffered a brain injury.
White said that her baby was in a transverse position and she was 37 weeks pregnant when she arrived in Prince George to deliver the baby on June 17, 2020.
She alleges that a nurse made racially insensitive comments, and kept her and Wesley鈥檚 father Warren alone for nearly her entire shift on June 18.
White said that the nurse鈥檚 comments started when she was trying to have a conversation with her about traditional Indigenous foods.
鈥淲hen we were trying to explain it to her, she鈥檚 like, 鈥業 don鈥檛 understand why you people do those kinds of things,鈥� and she wrinkled her nose, threw her hands in the air,鈥� White said.
She would often say 鈥業ndians鈥� like she鈥檚 being biased towards me.鈥�
White alleges that the nurse did not include her in any decisions about her care, and when a doctor instructed the nurse to increase the dose of oxytocin, the nurse initially refused to do so, resulting in White being unable to become fully dilated.
鈥淵ou know how somebody who鈥檚 caring and compassionate and trying to help you get through something like a nurse normally would, she wasn鈥檛 that way, she was very biased,鈥� White said.
鈥淪he was very rude, very ignorant. It was hard to have any conversations with her, she wouldn鈥檛 let me speak for myself.鈥�
Doctors attempted a vacuum-assisted delivery, which White claims to have caused the infant to suffer injuries. On May 3, 2021, a neurologist at the BC Children鈥檚 Hospital in Vancouver diagnosed Wesley with brain bleeds, and White said the neurologist told her the damage was likely due to the vacuum-assisted birth.
According to White, Wesley is behind his physical development by around six months and requires physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy as well as trips to the BC Children鈥檚 Hospital every three months.
After the birth, the Whites submitted a complaint to Northern Health鈥檚 Patient Care Quality Office. Northern Health determined that racism did not play a role in the nurse鈥檚 actions.
But the agency did acknowledge in an August 2020 email sent to Kristy White that there was a disagreement between the nurse and doctor, resulting in the medical team not functioning effectively and that management was working with the nurse to 鈥渆nsure she understands the impact of her actions and that she will become a more effective team player in the future.鈥�
White has also submitted a complaint to the College of BC Nursing Professionals and is now working with Pacific Medical Law, a Vancouver-based firm specializing in medical malpractice and birth injury. She said she plans to file a lawsuit in the coming months after obtaining all of Wesley鈥檚 medical records.
鈥淚鈥檝e kept quiet because I鈥檓 not the type of person to be public about my life and what I鈥檓 going through 鈥� my focus is Wesley, it鈥檚 always going to be Wesley.鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want this to happen to anybody else. I鈥檓 speaking out because there needs to be a change.鈥�
Northern Health said in a statement that it cannot comment on specific patient experiences to protect their privacy, but that there was a quality of care complaint investigated when concerns were raised in June 2020 and the results were provided to the complainant.
鈥淎nyone who is unsatisfied with the response or outcome from a health authority Patient Care Quality Office investigation, also has the option of contacting the Patient Care Quality Review Board for an independent review,鈥� the statement reads.
鈥淣orthern Health strives to support a health care system that is culturally safe for Indigenous people; we are committed to providing a work and care environment that is characterized by respectful behaviour, and free from discrimination, bullying and harassment. We know that the vast majority of our staff and care providers share this commitment, and provide culturally safe care every day 鈥� and we also know there is more work to be done.鈥�
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