6 days ago
Agonizing final moments of Nevada mother who melted to death in the desert heat
A mother battling an alcohol addiction died in 107 degree Las Vegas heat after being discharged from a treatment center, her family has claimed.
Melissa Gallia, 50, died of environmental heat stress in July last year, according to a wrongful death lawsuit filed in Clark County District Court on Tuesday.
The mother-of-two checked herself into Desert Hope Treatment Center seeking help with alcoholism, but was transferred to nearby Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center after suffering from hallucinations.
But doctors at the hospital claimed she was exhibiting 'drug-seeking behavior' and discharged her to her home, according to a complaint obtained by Daily Mail.
Gallia was found dead in a parking lot near Sunrise Hospital lot just hours after her release, with her husband Bart alleging he was not made privy of the emergency room visit until after she had died.
Her family alleges Gallia 'died alone' in the parking lot because of the 'outrageous, willful, wanton, reckless and malicious' actions of staff at both facilities.
The family's attorney, in a statement to Daily Mail, claimed, 'Melissa would not have died in the heat of Las Vegas' had it not been for the alleged, 'failure of medical professionals' and 'administrative failures' by both Desert Hope and Sunrise Hospital.
Sunrise Hospital, which declined to comment on the case citing 'pending litigation', told Daily Mail it is, 'always sensitive to situations involving patients and remain sympathetic to the details that have been made public'.
The mother-of-two checked herself into Desert Hope Treatment Center on June 30 seeking help with alcoholism, but was transferred to nearby Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center after suffering from hallucinations. Her husband Bart (pictured with Gallia) had not been made privy to her whereabouts despite her authorizing the facilities to contact him, the complaint alleges
Gallia developed a problem with alcohol after the death of her mother and went to Dessert Hope seeking help just before 10pm on June 29, the complaint states.
The facility collected her personal effects, including her ID, and she allegedly signed paperwork authorizing the facility to discuss her medical information with her husband, father and Sunrise Hospital.
She was administered several medications shortly after her admission and again the next morning, with her case manager contacting Bart just after 8am to offer an update on her condition, the lawsuit states.
But her symptoms seemingly worsened and staff continued to administer more drugs throughout the day, according to the complaint.
By 11pm on June 30, Gallia reported that she was 'seeing things moving' and her doctor ordered another dose of medication.
Her condition did not improve, with Gallia reporting high levels of anxiety around 3am, and 'worsening visual hallucinations' and feeling 'restless' about two hours later.
Staff called 911 and Gallia was transported to the emergency room. She arrived at Sunrise Hospital on July 1 at 5:54am, but was not admitted until 11:06am, the complaint alleges.
She was discharged less than 30 minutes after being seen with the attending physician noting, Gallia stated, 'she has urinary infection' and that she was seen at an 'outside facility but not prescribed antibiotics'.
The notes also stated that she had 'drug seeking behavior' and was 'discharged to home', according to the complaint.
Surveillance camera footage from a nearby business captured Gallia 'alone' and 'stumbling' through a parking lot around 2:21pm.
She sat in a landscaped area and then, just before 3pm, was seen lying in a parking spot, the complaint states.
An employee found her 'lying on the ground' and 'unresponsive' about an hour later and called emergency services. She was pronounced dead at 6:25pm.
The Clark County Coroner conducted an autopsy and determined that Gallia died of environmental heat stress.
According to the lawsuit, Bart was not informed that his wife had been transferred to the hospital or discharged until he received a call from a Desert Hope nurse on July 2 at 3:28am asking him where Gallia was.
He rushed to Sunrise Hospital seeking information, but was 'provided conflicting answers from staff', the filing states.
Bart says he only received confirmation of his wife's whereabouts later that day after getting a call from an investigator at the coroner's office, who advised him that she had died.
The lawsuit also included sworn expert testimony from two medical professionals who identified multiple 'breaches in the standard of care', which they allege 'represented an utter disregard for the life and safety of Melissa'.
Citing failures in properly documenting Gallia's case, as well as the lack of notifying her family of changes in her care, the experts alleged 'neglect' on behalf of the facilities, with one saying: 'In all my years of practice I have never seen so many missed opportunities to provide proper care.'
The wrongful death lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
Gallia's family attorney Robert Murdock told Daily Mail in a statement: 'The matter involves the failure of medical professionals as well as administrative failures by the entities involved, which we believe allowed and caused the death of Melissa.
'At the end of the day, had Desert Hope simply picked up the phone and called Melissa's husband Bart, or, had Sunrise Hospital simply picked up the phone and called Melissa's husband Bart, Melissa would not have died in the heat of Las Vegas.'
