logo

Mother dies days after giving birth as paramedics allegedly assumed she couldn't afford ambulance

Ksenia Novikova
Jul 30, 2018
02:54 P.M.

A woman died after suffering a stroke just two weeks after giving birth to her third child. Her grieving mother claims paramedics assumed she couldn’t afford an ambulance ride and made her lose precious time that could have spared her daughter’s life.

Advertisement

Nicole Benhamou, 53 is devastated after the death of her daughter Crystle Galloway, just two weeks after bringing her third child, a boy named Jacob, into the world. She’s also survived by her 7 and 13-years-old daughters.

On the early hours of July 4, Benhamou received a call from one of her granddaughters telling her there was something wrong with Galloway. After rushing to her daughter’s home, Nicole found her slumped over the bathtub, unconscious and drooling from the mouth.

Advertisement

However, Crystle soon regained conscience and said her head was hurting. Nicole decided to call 911 to ask for help. Around 3 AM two deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene, followed by four paramedics from Fire Rescue.

There are two versions of what happened next at Galloway’s Temple Terrace apartment, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times

According to Benhamou, one of the deputies suggested her daughter was just having a hangover and she should “sleep it off.” She also revealed that the first respondents were more worried about Galloway being able to afford the three-block ambulance ride to the nearest hospital than her condition.

Advertisement

“My daughter begged for her life,” she said. “The only thing they were worried about was my daughter had a new baby and she couldn’t afford an ambulance.”

The Hillsborough County Fire Rescue officials then carried Galloway down three flight of stairs and put her on her mother’s car, telling Benhamou that it was the best option since the ambulance ride would cost them around $600. The woman was so desperate by losing time that she decided to transport her daughter by herself.

After arriving at Brandon Regional Hospital, a CT scan showed bleeding on Galloway’s brain, and she was airlifted via helicopter to Tampa General Hospital, where she eventually slipped into a coma. Five days later, on July 9, she passed away. She would have been celebrating her 31st birthday on July 12.

Advertisement

The paramedics are disputing Benhamou’s version of events, claiming that the mother volunteered to take her daughter to the hospital and only asked for their help carrying her down the stairs and to her car.

An investigation following the incident placed the four Hillsborough County Fire Rescue paramedics on paid leave after it was discovered they failed to apply several protocols that should have been followed at the scene.

They didn’t check Galloway’s vital signs even though the 911 call had been coded as a possible stroke case, they also failed to make Crystle or Nicole sign a consent form confirming she was declining medical transport and submitted the call as “Non-transport/no patient found” which was described by county officials as falsification of records.

Advertisement

The four suspended paramedics were identified as Lt. John ‘Mike’ Morris, 36; Fire Medic Justin Sweeney, 36; Fire Medic Andrew Martin, 28, and acting Lt. Cortney Barton, 38. They are scheduled to appear at a disciplinary hearing on July 31.

“She’s 30 years old and just graduated from college, she had her whole life ahead of her,” Benhamou told ABC Actions News of her daughter. “You can tell me you’re sorry, you can give me your condolences but you still have to work this out with God.”

Advertisement
info
Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories!
By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy
Advertisement
Related posts

Little Girl & Her Dad Found Dead Side by Side on the Way to Grandma’s House

December 29, 2023

Dad Is Told His Long-Awaited Daughter Died At Birth – He Gets a Message 'I Got The Baby' 3 Weeks Later

December 20, 2023

4 Little Kids and Dad Found Dead Early in the Morning: 'Just Heartbreaking'

January 10, 2024

Dr. Dre's Children: Some of His Kids Also Chose Music as a Career Path

November 23, 2023

Widowed Surgeon Rushes to Save a Woman in a Restaurant, Freezes in Shock on Unbuttoning Her Shirt

February 08, 2024

Two Little Sisters Go Missing after Last Seen in Pajamas in Their Home at 11 p.m.

January 26, 2024

Liam Neeson 'Fell in Love' with a Woman Following Loss of Wife Whose Death Saved 3 People

November 24, 2023

Cause of Nick Carter’s Sister, Bobbie Jean’s Death at 41 Revealed — Details

February 13, 2024

'My Mommy's Not Breathing': Chilling Call 4-Year-Old Girl Made to Emergency Services While Trying to Save Mom

January 18, 2024

Nicole Kidman Signed Prenup Which Helped Keith Urban Get Sober & Made Him Change for His Family

January 23, 2024

Anna Nicole Smith's Mom Thought Her Granddaughter Might Also Pass Away – How Girl Changed over 17 Years

January 11, 2024

Woman Buys What Seems to Be Regular Vase for Only $3.99, Turns Out She Just Became Rich

January 08, 2024

Mother Enters Daughter’s Room and Sees That Girl and All Her Stuff Have Disappeared – Story of the Day

December 19, 2023

22 Notable Parent Fails That Were Less Than Perfect

January 22, 2024