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A woman and her family are “tormented by the circumstances” of her 87-year-old father’s death after he collapsed inside a Terrebonne hospital emergency department’s bathroom while waiting for care this month.

Julie Tanguay said her father, Fernand Tanguay, was experiencing trouble breathing and was vomiting blood when he was taken by ambulance to Pierre-Le Gardeur Hospital on Sunday, Nov. 1.

He was in good health until recently and a medical appointment revealed he had water in his lungs, she said, before his condition worsened that night.

“We took my father to the emergency room, and we came back with a plastic bag containing his clothes,” she said in an interview with The Gazette.

“It was over. We could see that he was ill, but we never, ever, ever thought that he would pass away like that — so suddenly, really.”

Julie said she drove her 84-year-old mother to the hospital to be with Fernand. Her mother recalled giving details to the first responders, but wasn’t allowed inside the ambulance.

“Between the time I spent picking her up and returning to the hospital, there is a gap — a period of time that elapsed while my father was arriving at the hospital,” Julie said. “We assume — or rather, we would like to believe — that he went through some sort of triage process. But this is the specific period that raises questions for us. What happened during that time?”

When they arrived at the hospital, they weren’t initially able to locate him, but then found Fernand in a wheelchair in the ER waiting room. Her father said he was told to wait in the waiting room, according to Julie.

“My mother, my husband and I were all very surprised because he was clearly not doing well,” she said.

Julie said Fernand arrived at the ER around 9 to 9:15 p.m. and she waited with her parents until early Monday morning. Her father kept insisting she go get some rest and eventually she left around 1:15 a.m., noting she lives close to the hospital.

“Then I looked at him and I said: ‘I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Papa.’ And I gave him a hug and then I left,” she said.

When Julie woke up around 6 a.m., she hadn’t received any updates on her father. She reached out to her mom, who said she fell asleep while waiting.

Her mother woke up alone and thought Fernand went to the bathroom, she said. The door was locked — and no one was answering her mother’s knocks, Julie added, saying she told her mom to inform staff. She rushed back to the hospital.

“My mother was screaming his name. I didn’t see it happen, but she told me about it,” she said. “Suddenly, a team came rushing in. They unlocked the door. My father was lying on the floor, face down.

“We realized he had gone into the restroom. He had locked the door behind him, and then he collapsed.”

Her mother told her that staff pulled Fernand by his ankles to get him out of the bathroom, Julie said.

As Julie arrived, she was ushered into a small room. She said a doctor told her they were trying to resuscitate him, but that it could leave him with serious aftereffects.

The family asked to stop all resuscitation efforts because that’s not what Fernand would want, she said.

Julie then saw her father for the last time. She described how difficult it was, but said she needed to touch him and say goodbye. He died three days before his 88th birthday.

“This is a painful bereavement. We are tormented by the circumstances. There are questions that remain unanswered for the time being,” she said.

Among those questions, she said, include the cause of her father’s death, the exact time of death and what happened when he arrived by ambulance.

Julie admitted she was hesitant about speaking publicly about her father’s death, a story that was initially reported by Radio-Canada, but said that if she didn’t, she would “feel as though the hospital let him down and that we did, too.”

Investigations underway

Santé Québec Lanaudière, the regional health authority overseeing the hospital, confirmed it launched an internal investigation into Fernand’s death. In a statement Thursday, it offered its condolences to his family.

“We understand their sadness and their sense of bewilderment. We promptly contacted the coroner, and, following their advice, an investigation was initiated. We have also launched an internal inquiry to shed full light on the events that took place. These are essential steps to which we attach the utmost importance; their findings will enable us to implement the necessary measures and improvements,” the health authority said.

“Out of respect for the ongoing investigations, we will not be providing any comments.”

Quebec’s coroner office said it was notified and coroner Alain Manseau will investigate the cause and circumstances surrounding Fernand’s death.

“We wish to offer our deepest condolences to the family and all those affected,” the office said in an email to The Gazette.

The coroner’s office also confirmed that Manseau, as part of the investigation, could issue “recommendations aimed at protecting human life and preventing deaths under similar circumstances.”

Julie said the coroner’s office called the family in the afternoon on Monday, Nov. 2.

As of Thursday afternoon, that was the only call they had received, she said, adding hospital authorities have not called the family.

“I have to say, I find that quite harsh,” she said.

Julie said she imagines the hospital has to remain silent, but: “I absolutely don’t understand it.”

As the family waits for the investigations and to know more about what happened to Fernand, Julie said they are focusing on her mother — who was married to her father for 61 years — and being there for her.

‘This is unacceptable’

The details surrounding Fernand’s death prompted an outpouring of condolences from Quebec’s political class.

Health Minister Marie-Karlynn Laflamme said her thoughts were with the family, and that “anyone who turns to our health-care system must be able to trust that they will receive the care their condition requires.”

“It is essential to fully shed light on the circumstances surrounding this death. The necessary investigations are underway, and if corrective measures are required, they must be implemented,” she wrote in a post Thursday on X. “We must improve access to care and services and make prevention a true priority, especially to ensure better care for our seniors.”

Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard also reacted Thursday, describing the story as “appalling.”

“It could be my father, it could be yours. It’s very troubling. It shows there is a need to talk about the delivery of care in Quebec instead of talking about structures,” he told reporters. “We need more health professionals in Quebec. We need a better definition of tasks in certain cases.”

Québec solidaire health critic Gisèle Pouhe Njall called on the health minister to act, saying patients are living and dying in “undignified conditions” stemming from a lack of investment in the province’s health-care system and emergency rooms.

“This is unacceptable. A man died under horrific circumstances while seeking help. My thoughts are with his family, especially his wife and children,” Pouhe Njall said.

Philip Authier of The Gazette contributed to this report.