Family's Grief Exacerbated by Delayed Response to 850lb Woman's Passing

Photo byKenny EliasononUnsplash

The family of an 850lb woman is voicing their dissatisfaction with a funeral home and first responders for their delayed response to accommodate her after her passing.As reported by Fox6 Milwaukee news, Cassandra Ortiz, who recently succumbed to morbid obesity, passed away a week ago. Her mother, Carolyn Alverio, shares the emotional difficulty of coming to terms with her daughter's passing, compounded by the distress of witnessing Cassandra's remains remaining at home due to logistical challenges faced by the first responders.

She explains that the process lasted for 12 hours as there was an insufficient capacity to manage the case effectively, which was primarily due to the significant weight of her daughter.

"To walk in that room and just keep seeing her there, and it's like, oh my god when are they going to get my baby out of here," Alverio said. "They need to get her out of here." It took about 20 to 30 people.

Following the placement of her daughter in a van, her body remained unattended for several hours as the fire department responsible for transportation was redirected to another emergency. This unfortunate delay significantly impacted the family's hope of arranging an open casket funeral. Consequently, she advocates for the implementation of a standardized protocol in the state of Wisconsin to address similar circumstances, ensuring that families do not have to encounter further distress during an already challenging period.

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