Racism is unfortunately still alive and well, and it's still appearing in the worst of places, like in excessive job layoffs and in medical care—or, should we say, medical neglect.
TikToker @kashman2814 sparked a furious debate about hospitals and nurses with a history of medical racism after she shared the experience of her Black daughter, now a mother of three, not being properly attended to by a white nurse.
Her daughter was supposed to be induced that morning but it was rescheduled because of a lack of available beds in the hospital. Her soon-to-be-born son, however, had other plans, and she found herself in active labor just hours after the originally-scheduled induction.
When TikToker @kashman2814 and her daughter arrived at the hospital, they were expected to wait in the waiting room for more than 30 minutes and would not be attended to until all of the medical forms were filled out. The TikToker filmed a video of her daughter writhing in pain in a wheelchair as the nurse slowly clicked her mouse, typed some information slowly into a form, and eventually talked to someone on the phone, all while having her back turned to her patient and ignoring her pleas for help.
Just 12 minutes after the video was recorded, the woman's son was born, meaning that she received very little medical assistance during the act of giving birth.
You can see the original video here:
In a second video filmed from a slightly different angle, the mother was able to capture her daughter standing with her hands grasping the wheelchair, bent over to relieve pressure.
In the meantime, the nurse continued to sit at her desk, staring at the computer and moving the mouse around. Very little clicking of the mouse, typing, or actual progress with filling out the forms can be detected during the video, though it could have been drowned out by the daughter's notes of pain and discomfort.
You can watch the second video here:
Fellow TikTokers were shocked and outraged by how the family was treated.
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Since the two videos were uploaded and went viral, the hospital and the nurse have both been called out. This occurred at Dallas Regional Medical Hospital in Mesquite, Texas.
Allegedly, this is far from the first time that something like this has happened at Dallas Regional, particularly in the delivery wing and with this particular nurse.
After the newborn baby boy and his mother were settled back in at home, the new mother's mom posted a follow-up video that shared a little more about what happened, including just how extreme the wait time was and how little care her daughter received leading up to the birth of her son.
You can watch the follow-up video here:
Fellow TikTokers pushed for the family to press charges against the hospital for medical neglect and medical racism.
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It's alarming that situations like this are still happening, and it's even worse that when other people hear about these stories, they often can identify with them, either personally or through someone they know.
This is an issue that we cannot stop talking about until something is done to ensure fair treatment for all.
