A Mission woman says her mother鈥檚 death could have been avoided if she received better care at the Urgent and Primary Care Centre (UPCC) on London Avenue. 

Madeline Nikolai says her 77-year-old mother, who shares her name, visited the Mission Urgent and Primary Care Centre on a Saturday (Dec. 14) with pain in her leg, feeling unwell and needing a refill for heart medication. 

Nikolai said her mother arrived at the clinic,  was triaged by a nurse, and told to go to a walk-in clinic.  Because it was the weekend, she couldn鈥檛 get an appointment until Monday (Dec. 16). 

In the day between (Dec. 15), the elder Nikolai was driving her grandchildren home when she died.  

Her granddaughter Athalia stopped the car and called 911 when she went unconscious. 

鈥淸The dispatcher] told me to check if her chest was rising and falling - to see if she was breathing. And it didn't seem like it. So I had to pull her out of the car. But there was a guy who was by the car, so I asked him for help and he helped me to pull her out of the car and use CPR,鈥� Athalia said. 

鈥淚t was hard. I mean, she was my grandma.鈥�

Madeline says Athalia shared a close bond with her grandmother.  

鈥淭his happened and now two children have suffered this insane trauma,鈥� Madeline said. 

Over 10 years ago, her mother had a heart attack and was on medication in the years since. However, she didn鈥檛 have a family doctor in Canada.

Madeline was told her mother was fully triaged at the Mission UPCC.

"She was clearly in the midst of having a heart attack, which they failed to [recognize] and they sent her away," she said. 

鈥淭his could have been avoided. Had they adequately done their job and assessed her, they would have got her to a hospital, not send her away.鈥� 

According to a recording obtained by The Record, a Fraser Health representative who spoke with Madeline confirmed that the nurse's chart did not detail the pain in her mother's leg nor her feeling unwell. 

She was told that the incident would be looked into and was suggested to take her concerns to the BC College of Nurses and Midwives who deal with such issues. 

The Record reached out to Fraser Health for official comment.

鈥淲e offer our heartfelt condolences to this person鈥檚 family and friends as they grieve the tragic loss of their family member," the emailed statement reads.

鈥淲hile we will not speak to the details of this person's care journey with us, we have been in direct contact with the patient's family regarding their concerns and understand they have also reached out to our Patient Care Quality Office who will support them in answering any further questions they may have.鈥� 

Madeline described her mother as a 鈥渇eisty little Irish woman鈥� who would want her to get the word out even if it only saves one person's life. 

鈥淪he always stood up for people,鈥� she said. 

She says the situation may have been treated differently had the car crashed and killed her children or others. 

A police report was also filed by Madeline. Mission RCMP say the investigation has since been concluded and no criminal charges were recommended.