Jason Kennedy, a former commercial fisher, knows he may eventually lose both legs but he said his right foot was in worse condition due to a bone infection he lives with and that's the one his doctor at a different hospital told him would have to be amputated.
"Coming out of anesthesia and when I woke up from my bed, my recovery area, I was in disbelief. Disbelief that they took the wrong leg," Kennedy said. "I knew for a fact they did take the wrong leg."
Kennedy, who has been living in Winnipeg but is originally from Bloodvein First Nation, said he went to Seven Oaks General Hospital on Oct. 23 because of pain and bleeding in his right foot. He said the amputation at Grace Hospital was ordered on Oct. 28 and took place Oct. 31.
Kennedy said he was taken from Seven Oaks to the Grace before 7 a.m. He said it wasn't until after the amputation that he found out his leg left was removed.
"I was just wondering if this was a bad dream," Kennedy said. "The pain is still in my [right] foot and it's there right now as we speak."
Patient Safety Review
A spokesperson for the Winnipeg Regional Healthy Authority said in an emailed statement patient confidentiality limits the amount of information it can provide "in this complex clinical situation."
"We are aware of the incident and the distress it has caused the patient, their family and the care providers," the spokesperson said. "Members of the care team have personally met with the patient to offer their sincere apologies and to discuss next steps."
"The incident is currently under review by our patient safety team to identify potential system learning opportunities. The results of this review will be shared with the patient once complete."
Kennedy said his surgeon and "two other colleagues" apologized to him.
He said he is speaking out to prevent this from happening to someone else, but he's already accepted the fact his left leg is gone and is offering his forgiveness.
"I knew right away it was my left leg that was gone and I thought, 'this can't be happening,'" Kennedy said.
"All I could do was think, 'why is this happening to me?' I was under the impression it was going to be my right leg because that's where the worst pain is.
"And my first thoughts were forgiveness is in my mind, I could forgive a person easily because I learned from my family like my mom and my dad and my grandma. I learned from them how forgiveness is important."
Kennedy, who also lives with diabetes, said he was first given antibiotics at Seven Oaks to help fight the infection and that he could still wiggle his toes on his left foot and the swelling was going down.
"I was telling them, it's actually getting better," Kennedy said. "And it's way better than my right foot because I can't even wiggle my toes on this one."
His right foot, meanwhile, was in worse shape, Kennedy said.
"Obviously it was the right foot that needs to be off because I know which leg is by far the worst pain," he said.
He acknowledged his left foot had blood and pus coming out of it as well.
Kennedy said he was told if the antibiotics didn't work, he could lose both legs and if they didn't work to save his right foot, he could lose that leg, too.
Family's Reaction
Yvonne Young, Kennedy's mom, travelled from out of town to visit him at Seven Oaks after the amputation. But it wasn't until after she returned home to Waterhen, Man., that he told her what happened with his leg.
"He said, 'mom, there's something I need to tell you.' He said, 'I didn't want to tell you when you had to travel home.' He said, 'they cut off the wrong leg,'" Young said.
Young said she's proud of her son for offering forgiveness, but she believes there should be responsibility taken for what happened.
"He needs to be compensated for what has happened to him," Young said. "That is wrong."
She said he should be given prosthetics to help him carry on with his life.
Kennedy said he had been homeless for a few years until January 2023, when he found a place. But now with one leg gone and another one in bad shape, he's worried what the future holds.
"I gotta live with that," he said. "And it's life-changing for me because I was always on my feet, I was always doing something."
Calls for Investigation
"I cannot even begin to wrap my head around how traumatic and devastating this experience is for Mr. Kennedy and his family," SCO Grand Chief Jerry Daniels said in a statement.
"I call on the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and the provincial government to conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation into this disturbing and nightmarish mistake when it comes to so-called patient care."
Daniels said the medical mistake is just another incident in a long line of systemic inequities when it comes to First Nations people and health care.
"Mr. Kennedy deserved the best our health care system has to offer, including empathy and respect," he said.
"The patient safety review that is now underway can do little to make up for this grave error. My hope is that it serves as motivation for meaningful systemic change in healthcare and that we all come together to truly improve health outcomes for First Nations’ citizens and all those living in Manitoba."
"This is not only a deeply personal tragedy for Mr. Kennedy, but it is also part of a broader pattern of healthcare failures that disproportionately impact First Nations Peoples," said Acting Grand Chief Betsy Kennedy. "We need to ensure that First Nations are fully represented in the review of this incident and that meaningful steps are taken to prevent such errors from occurring again."
Seeking Systemic Change
The AMC is calling on the province to take immediate steps to:
- Implement cultural competency and anti-racism training for all health-care providers.
- Implement culturally safe practices to ensure that First Nations people are treated with respect and understanding.
- Increase First Nations representation in leadership positions within the healthcare system.
"The health and safety of our people must be a priority. We cannot continue to accept incidents like this as a ‘one-off’ or a simple mistake that is fixed with a simple apology to the patient," said Acting Grand Chief Kennedy. "It is critical that First Nations are included in every aspect of this review and that real action is taken to ensure our First Nations citizens receive safe and responsible care. First Nations patients are not meant to be system learning opportunities”.
The AMC will be closely monitoring this situation and advocating for justice for Mr. Kennedy and all First Nations people who have been affected by systemic inequities within the healthcare system.
Looking Ahead
The incident has shaken the community and sparked widespread calls for accountability and change. While the patient safety review is underway, many are left wondering how such a grave error could occur in the first place. The incident has highlighted the need for a thorough and transparent investigation, along with systemic changes to address the underlying issues that contribute to these kinds of medical mistakes.
The story of Jason Kennedy serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by First Nations people in accessing quality healthcare. It also raises important questions about the need for cultural competency and anti-racism training in the healthcare system, and the crucial role of First Nations representation in leadership positions to ensure culturally safe and equitable care for all.
The events surrounding this incident have sparked a conversation about the importance of patient safety and the need for systemic change within the healthcare system. As the investigation continues, it remains to be seen what steps will be taken to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future. However, one thing is clear: the incident has brought to light the need for urgent action to address the deeply ingrained systemic issues that continue to impact the health and well-being of First Nations people in Manitoba.
