Tobias suddenly had severe abdominal pain at his daughter’s party • “Everything that could go wrong did go wrong”
The cemetery is shrouded in twilight, but at Tobias’ resting place, lit candles are burning, illuminating the heart-shaped stones with messages of love for the 32-year-old. The oldest children Ellen and Leo, aged 4 and 3, each put down a drawing for their father and shape their hands into hearts. Mother Victoria Tholén holds little brother Dante, who is only seven months old, in her arms.
– They called at twelve at night and said that Tobias had suffered a cardiac arrest. Then I realized how wrong it was. Before, I had not understood but believed that he was in safe hands, she says.
Suddenly had severe abdominal pain
It has been two months since daughter Ellen’s fourth birthday party when Tobias suddenly had severe abdominal pain and was rushed to the emergency room at Halland’s hospital by his mother-in-law. But once at the hospital, most things go wrong. There is a shortage of places and despite the fact that it is soon established that Tobias is suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, he is not given a place in the surgery department, but instead is placed in the orthopedist’s ward.
– He was gray and in a cold sweat and you could see that he was not feeling well. A nurse came to take the blood pressure, but it didn’t work. It was only joked about, but in retrospect we have understood that it was the body that started to fail even then, says Victoria Tholén.
“Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong”
According to the medical record, it takes about 14 hours from the time Tobias comes in until the doctor in charge sees him – but without taking any measures. Just over three hours later, it is established that Tobias is brain dead after a cardiac arrest caused by blood poisoning and severe dehydration due to the untreated irritable bowel syndrome.
– I have worked for many years in healthcare and everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. We want Tobias to receive redress and for all fellow human beings to know that there is no patient safety in healthcare in 2024. It is saved, says Lise-Lotte Tholén, who is Tobias’ mother-in-law.
The hospital: Didn’t understand the seriousness of the condition
At Halland’s hospital, they do not want to go into details, but admit that there was a mistake.
– An error event that we have identified was that they did not understand the seriousness of the condition. We have now decided to investigate the incident according to Lex Maria and then we will also submit a more detailed investigation and incident analysis, says Chief Medical Officer Ola Blomqvist.
But for Victoria Tholén and the three children, the future has changed forever.
– I think we should make it as good as we can without Tobias. Try to make him proud up there in heaven because he is with us.