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A Mother's Battle Against Medical Errors

Alyssa Hemmelgarn reading a book. Alyssa died shortly after being diagnosed with leukemia.  (Courtesy of Hemmelgarn family)
Alyssa Hemmelgarn reading a book. Alyssa died shortly after being diagnosed with leukemia. (Courtesy of Hemmelgarn family)

Hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. die from medical errors every year. It is the third leading cause of death in the United States.

Carole Hemmelgarn is on a mission to help medical professionals avoid errors. She says the healthcare system failed her family and her daughter.

“I had a 9-year-old daughter, named Alyssa, and she was diagnosed with leukemia on a Monday and she died 10 days later,” said Hemmelgarn.

From the Here & Now Contributors Network, John Daley of Colorado Public Radio has her story.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

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