The Heather Winterstein inquest is underway.
The coroner’s inquest is examining the circumstances surrounding the death of a 24-year-old Indigenous woman who died in December 2021 at Niagara Health’s St. Catharines hospital.
The inquest started this week, and is scheduled to last 13 days.
Winterstein, a member of the Cayuga Nation, sought medical care twice in 48 hours for severe pain following a fall.
On December 9th, 2021, she arrived by ambulance with severe back pain, and was sent home with Tylenol and a bus ticket.
The doctors discharged notes labelled the case as ‘social issues.’
She arrived back at the hospital the following day, and after spending two and a half hours in the ER, she collapsed and died.
Winterstein died of a type of flesh-eating disease that is preventable if treated.
Niagara Health has released a report into the death, you can read it by clicking here.
Following the death, the Heather Winterstein Foundation was created, to help support charitable organizations focusing on holistic healthcare for indigenous communities in Niagara.
A coroner’s inquest in Ontario is a public hearing conducted by a coroner and a five-member jury to examine the facts surrounding a death.
It is not a trial to assign blame, but rather a fact-finding process designed to inform the public and recommend changes to prevent future deaths in similar circumstances.
You can watch the inquest live by clicking here.
CKTB’s Gene Valaitis was joined by St. Catharines Standard Reporter Bill Sawchuk to talk about the first day of the inquest.
Story credit: Bonnie Heslop
Image credit: Heather Winterstein Foundation
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