Canadian Hospital Apologizes After Nurse Mistakenly Tells Man His Mother Died
It turned out 99-year-old Sophie Nemis was actually alive and well.
— -- A hospital in Canada apologized after a nurse mistakenly called a man and told him that his mother had died when she was actually alive and well.
Sophie Nemis, 99, was taken to Seven Oaks General Hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba, last month after she twisted an ankle, ABC News partner CTV News reported.
Her son, Daniel Nemis, told CTV News that he had not received an update on his mother's condition for several days when he suddenly got a phone call -- one that he says he will never forget.
When Daniel Nemis picked up, he said he heard, "'Daniel? Daniel? Daniel?' [in] a gentle voice, soft voice from [a] nurse."
And then: "I'm sorry, your mother passed."
Daniel Nemis said he then began crying and demanded to know how such a minor injury could lead to his mother’s death. He told CTV News that his 99-year-old mother was "extremely independent" and led a healthy life, adding that she "doesn’t wait for anybody -- winter [or] summer."
Midway through the call, the nurse realized she had made a mistake and called the wrong person.
The nurse reportedly said, "I’m sorry but your -- whoops, wrong person," Daniel Nemis told CTV News.
"The crying stopped, [but] the screaming started," he said, adding that it took quite a while for him to calm down.
The hospital "is deeply sorry for any grief that may have been caused, even momentarily," according to the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, which manages Seven Oaks General Hospital.
"A patient had passed away overnight, and the nurse coming on shift was responsible to call the next of kin," the health authority told ABC News today in a statement. "The nurse looked at the wrong page in the chart binder, realized part way into the call that she had the wrong name and apologized profusely."
"The Seven Oaks General Hospital Patient Relations Consultant and the Patient Care Team Manager called as well, to apologize, followed by the hospital’s Chief Nursing Officer, who conveyed her apologies and invited to meet personally with the family member. Patient identifier policies have been reviewed with staff to prevent this from happening again. The mistake was extremely unfortunate and regrettable."
Now, Sophie Nemis is working to get back on her feet before turning 100 in December, CTV News reported.
Daniel Nemis did not immediately respond to ABC News' requests for additional comment.