The Tribune

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Reporter

jgibson@tribunemedia.net

ORLANDO native Rose Smith had the “trip from hell” when she came to the Bahamas several weeks ago. Her trip was not one to soak up the sun, or enjoy the beach, but to take her husband’s body back to the United States. As if supporting her husband as he battled with cancer was not enough, Mrs Rose said she also had to endure a fight to arrange for his body to be returned to the United States with all of his possessions.

Ernest Smith, 66, passed away in hospital on August 11 after battling multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood. Mr Smith had been making trips back and forth from Turks and Caicos, where he worked. He became very ill last September, when he was diagnosed with the disease

Doctors believed they caught the cancer in time and recommended immediate chemotherapy. During his treatment, Mr Smith was assisted with accommodation at the Cancer Caring Center facility, which is considered a home away from home for persons undergoing cancer treatment while in New Providence. Mr Smith succumbed to the disease before his treatment had ended. It was a shock to his wife, who thought things were going well.

“No one thought he was going to pass because he was doing so well. They were even getting ready to take him off chemotherapy treatment. He went in the hospital on the August 8. I talked to him several times each day. I spoked to him the Friday before he died and I told him that I was working late and it would have been really late if I called. He told me to call him anyway. When I did, I did not get an answer and I left a message for him to call me back,” she told Tribune Health.

The next day, Mrs Smith continuously called the hospital only to hear “all circuits are busy now”. At this time Mrs Smith said she became worried because she could not reach her husband or anyone at the hospital.

“When I called they told me Ernie was no longer on the fourth floor. They said he was having trouble breathing and they had to move him to ICU so they could keep a closer eye on him. When I spoke to the doctor he told me that there was nothing to worry about, and he had a little breathing problem and he was fine.”

Her husband’s death was unexpected and shocking. It was difficult news to digest because Mrs Smith said her husband was doing well.

“Then I got a call from the doctor and they said Ernie had passed away. They told me every single thing that happened from he left the fourth floor to the ICU. I also asked my questions too, because I wanted to know what he was like before he died. The doctor said he was fine. After a short while the nurses realized he was talking funny, and breathing funny, so they went into emergency mode.”

“Here is a person who was doing so well, he was almost off chemotherapy and then he was gone. If I knew this would happen I would have been over here with him. I always wanted him to die a peaceful death, because I knew if they had gotten rid of the cancer it would have came back,” she said.

Mrs Smith took the first flight she could to the Bahamas, and when she arrived, her new ordeal began.

One of the first stops she made was to the funeral home where her husband’s body was transferred.

“And it was so difficult having to view his body,” she said.

After the funeral home, Mrs Smith made her way to the hospital where she said she was greeted by an “unsympathetic” security officer.

Ms Smith said she went to the hospital to collect her husband’s personal items; however, several items were unaccounted for.

“It was hard enough to begin with to walk in the door of the hospital. I went to the security and he told me to have a seat. So we sat there and we sat there and we sat there. I was there for almost two hours just waiting to speak to a woman I was instructed to speak to about retrieving my husband’s items,” she said.

“Everything was great at [the hospital]. The doctors were great; the nurses were great; the care was great. I had a problem with the security. This was the experience from hell because my husband just passed away and I only came to the hospital to collect his things. But he kept telling me the only thing that my husband brought to the hospital was in a bag they gave me. The only thing that was in that bag was sneakers and socks. I told them my husband did not come to the hospital in sneakers and socks, nor did he come in there naked either. Where is his clothing?”

Mrs Smith said her trip was prolonged as she tried to locate her husband’s computer and computer bag.

“My husband did a lot of work on that computer. He has a lot of business history on that as well as personal things like family pictures,” she said.

After working with Mrs Smith to resolve the mystery around Mr Smith’s computer, hospital officials said security cameras revealed that Mr Smith was admitted with only one bag, his clothing bag.

In the next week, Mrs Smith said she will head back home to finalise arrangements for her husband’s funeral and move past this experience.

“Ernie loved the Bahamas but he has to go back home now. He has been here long enough,” she said.