Editor’s Note: This story was written by a U.S. medical doctor who, guided by her compassion for others, understands that immigration status should never prevent people from getting medical care. This testimony was written after a fearful woman patient who was there with her child, left the hospital still sick. This is published with permission.
‘If you don’t see people dying because of fear of deportation and separation of their families — it may be easy to see them as “aliens” and say, “just send them back.”’
It was 2 a.m. in the emergency department. My next patient was a woman in her 30’s and accompanying her was her 8-year-old son. Though it was obvious that she was in rough shape, the boy was well nourished and wearing warm clothing. Right away, I saw how sick she was and knew that we had to act fast. She was septic (had a life threatening infection) and my guess was that the source of infection was in her abdomen.
After we managed to stabilize her, she was taken to radiology to get a CT scan. In route there, she saw a security guard. She started crying and told her son to hide. The tech transporting her to the CT scanner saw her fright and brought her back to the ED [Emergency Department]. There, she told her nurse to take out her IV lines, that she had to leave right away. I immediately went by her side and learned that she is undocumented and believed that the security guard had the authority to take her child away from her.
She was in tears and in her primary language stated, “Doctor, I cannot let them take him away again. They will send me back. I have to leave.” I learned that she left horrifying circumstances in her country (after enduring unimaginable trauma that left scars on her body) and has been working so hard here in the U.S., making contributions to our economy and society.
She came to the ED at 2 a.m. because she was terrified to come during daytime hours. I begged her to stay and told her that our security guard was not an ICE agent and she is safe. She said that she saw the news and that even hospitals are no longer safe.
I pleaded with her and she stayed the night until the end of my shift. She left a bit less sick than when she came to the hospital; however, she is still quite sick and I wish she stayed.
Think of how many people will defer life saving care, whose children may not get the care they need, and who may wait until they are on their deathbeds to finally seek care because of fear. If you don’t see people dying, and die because of fear of deportation and/separation of their families, it may be easy to see them as “aliens” and say, ‘just send them back.’
