Patient-52

Patient-52 went to Sunrise Hospital for surgery for an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The hospital cancelled and delayed her surgery 4 times. When her family made arrangements to move her to a different hospital, Sunrise Hospital delayed the transfer, and the patient died alone before she could be taken to a better, safer hospital.

My name is Gina Van Kula.

My mother-in-law, Marcia "Grams" Van Kula, unexpectedly passed away at Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas on December 9, 2024.

On December 3, Marcia went in for a routine physical. Her doctor determined she might have an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

Upon further testing, the AAA was confirmed and she was transferred to Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada and scheduled for surgery the next day. The AAA repair was cancelled due to another "medical emergency".

The repair was rescheduled for the next day. Again, it was cancelled due to another "medical emergency".

The next day, the repair was still not completed.

It was finally scheduled for Sunday, 12/8, but again, it was cancelled due to yet another emergency!!

At this time, Tom spoke with the doctor and a hospital supervisor and relayed his concerns as Marcia’s procedure had been bumped 4 times already.

He was told that "emergencies" take priority over other procedures.

How did they not deem an abdominal aortic aneurysm, which could rupture at any time, a medical emergency?

It was then decided that Marcia would be transferred to another local hospital on Monday, 12/9 to complete the repair at 10am.

Consistent with this disturbing hospital experience, her transfer and surgery were delayed. Throughout the morning and late afternoon, hospital staff claimed they were waiting for a room to open.

Tom and Marcia spoke on the phone at 6:30 p.m.

At 9:30 p.m., Tom received a phone call that Marcia coded. The aneurysm had RUPTURED.

45 minutes later, the physician informed Tom that Marcia had died.

This tragedy could have been avoided had Marcia received treatment in a timely manner.

Being in the medical profession myself, this is truly sickening. This gross negligence is unfathomable. It is sad. It is tragic. It is horrendous. It is WRONG.

Marcia died alone in her hospital room waiting for a surgery that should’ve been completed multiple days prior. She was under the care of medical professionals who nonchalantly brushed her case aside day after day. Marcia’s AAA should have been THE emergency that bumped other surgeries. She was a ticking time bomb, and this fact seemed to be ignored.

To make this tragedy even sadder, Marcia, Tom and TJ were set to surprise my 3 beautiful daughters, Ava (9), Ella (6) and Gianna (3), for Christmas. They have not seen the girls in person for over 2 years and were so excited to visit and spend the holidays together. This opportunity was taken away from both Marcia and her granddaughters. She told the physician day after day that she needed the repair done so she could heal and be with her family. ALL she wanted was to see her granddaughters. Sadly, they failed her.

Everyone who knew Marcia would tell you how great of a woman she was. She was a wonderful, loving mom, mother-in-law, and Grandma. Her sense of humor was unmatched. Her laugh was contagious. She is missed so much already.

Update: The family filed a lawsuit against Sunrise Hospital on November 24, 2025.

NOTE TO READERS: Rupture of the aneurysm is a life-threatening condition because of the excessive bleeding in the abdominal cavity that can cause sudden death if not correctly managed by the experts. Mortality rates in case of ruptured aneurysms are between 32% and 70%, which are also exceptionally high.