Outraged Mom Demands a ‘White Doctor’ for Her Son – Brave Woman Steps in to Shut Her Up

• A woman who took her son to a walk-in clinic in Mississauga, Ontario, was filmed demanding the help of a white doctor.
• While the clinic staff tried their best to pacify the situation and offer the mother help, she refused.
• Another patient couldn't believe what he was seeing and decided to film the altercation, which soon went viral.

Sunday, June 18, 2017, started out as a regular day, with clinic staff working at Rapid Access to Medical Specialists in Mississauga, Ontario, going about their business like they would on any other shift. A few people were waiting to be helped, and there were a few doctors available to assist.

While waiting for a doctor to see him, Hitesh Bhardwaj realized the woman next to him was highly unhappy with the service at the walk-in clinic. The woman, a mother bringing her son in because he had been having chest pains, started demanding to see a white doctor, adamant that she didn't want the help of a person of color.

Bhardwaj recalled that the incident started out of the blue, with the woman suddenly demanding to see a "white doctor [who] doesn't have brown teeth [and] speaks English." Bhardwaj took out his phone and started recording the incident after a woman next to the unnamed mother asked her why she would only see a white doctor.

Along with the bold cameraman, others also started to confront the woman about how she was conducting herself.

At the start of the video, the mother can be seen sitting in line with her son next to her. By this point, one of the clinic staff had approached her and was trying to reason with the upset woman, saying there were doctors available, but none of them were white. In response, the mother's agitation grew.

The clinic staff also mentioned that the next batch of doctors would only be coming in after four o'clock. Naturally, the mother reacted with shock and indignancy, asking the staff member whether she was expected to sit and wait with her son until after the new doctors arrived to see a medical specialist.

When the staff member couldn't assist, the mother got up and walked to reception, where she continued to loudly request the help of a white doctor. The staff at the front desk insisted that there was no white doctor available to see her child, eliciting more annoyance from the already disgruntled mom.

Some of the other customers suggested that if she was so unhappy with the service at the walk-in clinic, she should seek help at the hospital. Their propositions fell on deaf ears as the mom continued to harass the administration staff, asking, "What type of horrible country do I live in," when no one would oblige her.

The woman offered some explanation for her behavior, noting that she had already taken her child to see a doctor who was a person of color, and he didn't resolve the issue. Nonetheless, the clinic staff stuck to their guns, not letting the woman walk all over them.

How the Ranting Mother Was Finally Shut Down

While the mother demanded that the clinic staff tolerate her beratement and meet her demands, Bhardwaj and the rest of the customers waiting for assistance could do little but sit and look on. Bhardwaj commented that the episode left him shocked at the blatant racism displayed so casually in an everyday context.

Once the video made it to social media, other people also had things to say about the mother's behavior.

Bhardwaj filmed the entire altercation, not holding back whenever he had the chance to deliver his input on the matter. Along with the bold cameraman, others also started to confront the woman about how she was conducting herself. One woman stepped up, approaching the mother directly with a few cutting comments.

The brave witness told the agitated mother that her behavior was utterly unacceptable. She reproached, "Your child clearly has more issues with you being his mother than him needing to see a doctor. You are extremely rude and racist." Nonetheless, the mother doubled down, accusing the witnesses of attacking her because she was white.

Although it was clear that everyone in the building was fed up with the mother's unseemly behavior, she wouldn't let up. Eventually, the situation became so drawn out with no sign of stopping that someone resorted to calling the police. The Peel Regional Police shared that they received a call from the clinic around 12:30 p.m.

Arriving at the clinic following reports of the mother's outburst, the police started to take statements from everyone who was directly involved with the incident. The police shared that it was a relatively open-and-shut case since no one had reported any threats of violence, which allowed them to merely disarm the situation.

After the police handled the altercation, the clinic returned to business as usual, and the unhappy mother finally allowed a doctor at the clinic to treat her son. The clinic refused to comment on the incident but shared that they stand by their medical professionals and the level of service they offer.

Public Reactions to the Public Display

Bhardwaj commented that the incident stuck with him even after he saw a doctor and returned home. With the video of the entire ordeal in his pocket, he contemplated what had happened, and decided to share the incident with the world, so he sent the footage to CBC News. From there, it spread like wildfire.

As an immigrant, Bhardwaj noted that he was proud of the country he had moved to and called home. He felt at home in Canada most of the time, which is why the incident left him shocked and in disbelief. He also shared that he felt saddened by what he had seen, and he "couldn't believe" that he had witnessed the event.

Once the video made it to social media, other people also had things to say about the mother's behavior. The former premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, shared her thoughts on the matter. Wynne couldn't believe that such behavior still persisted in Canada, describing the video as "disturbing."

Wynne noted that the video exhibits behavior that should have everyone in a state of shock. She also noted that incidents like these often show how much work remains to be done to entirely eradicate racism and xenophobia in the greater society. She urged everyone to see the video as a marker that these issues are still relevant.

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