Discount clinic's shocking act after family complained about woman dying during gastric bypass surgery
A mother died from sepsis and internal bleeding when a discount gastric bypass surgery she had in Mexico went wrong.
Lisa Roemeling, 53, died on November 21 after the surgery in Tijuana that was organized by a medical tourism company for about $7,000.
Getting the weight-loss surgery in the US would have cost about $30,000 as it was not covered by insurance, and Roemeling couldn't afford it.
The mother-of-one flew from Hugo, Minnesota, where she ran Carbone's Pizzeria with her husband Tad Roemeling, to San Diego.
The company then drove Roemeling and her cousin Jenny Poppo across the border to the clinic where the operation was performed.
But there were complications and she suffered internal bleeding and later sepsis, leading to a cardiac arrest that left her braindead.
There was no improvement in her condition when she was transferred to a hospital in San Diego, and her husband took her off life support.
Poppo furiously gave the medical tourism company a one-star review on Yelp, criticizing the clinic's lack of equipment, or staff who spoke English and had the skills to deal with her cousin's complications.
The company sent her an email on Christmas Day that apologized for Roemeling's death, but warned her not to speak out.
'We respectfully request... that everyone affected refrain from making public statements that are both hurtful and inaccurate,' it said.
Poppo said the surgery was a 'circus act' from the moment they arrived, and the staff failed to find the source of the bleeding.
'They didn't have basic things like an MRI machine, a CT machine,' she told Fox 9.
Roemeling was buried after her funeral on January 12 at the Huge City Hall, where hundreds braved a freezing cold day to pay their respects.
Her son Austin Roemeling mourned her online beside a photo of her holding his newborn son, born just three months before her death.
'It pains me that my son will have to grow up without seeing his grandma,' he wrote.
'But I'm so glad that she at least got her dream of being a grandma and getting those special 3 months with him where I wish she could have gotten 30 years, at least.
'As I told my mom before she passed, her legacy will live on in all of the people lives that she changed and I will be telling my son all about his amazing grandma as I try to do the best I can to be an amazing parent like she was for me.'
Her family added in their eulogy: 'Her family was the center of her world, and she relished every moment spent with them, whether at home or on cherished vacations,' her family wrote.
'Known for her thoughtful and generous spirit, Lisa was always ready to lend a helping hand to anyone in need.
'Her warmth and compassion left a lasting impression on everyone she met, and her legacy of kindness will continue to inspire those who knew her. Lisa's love for life and her family was evident in everything she did.'
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