August 7, 1995: Tyra Hunter
Monica Roberts posted Tyra’s story last year, on the 12th anniversary of her death. Go read it.
Tyra shouldn’t be dead. She had critical injuries, but timely assistance from paramedics and at the emergency room would have saved her life. Everything that happened to her was preventable, including the prejudice that withheld that care.
She was subjected to transphobic statements while her injuries were slowly killing her. During the ensuing court action, experts testified that she had an 84% chance to survive her injuries with proper medical care – but instead, paramedics made jokes at her expense. An emergency room doctor refused to treat her, and she died in the emergency room, neglected.
From Monica Roberts in comments:
Adrian Williams, the EMT involved in Tyra’s inintial non treatment was African-American. What was even more insulting was that Adrian Williams was PROMOTED not long after this incident by the DC Fire Department.
I didn’t mention this because, er, I forgot. No excuses, I just let myself get rushed. I’m sorry about that.
The DC Police, fire, and emergency services have sensitivity training now to prevent what happened to Tyra Hunter from happening again.
The thing that drives me the craziest about this story? The fact that when I tell people about it, they insist that it’s so horrific it could never have happened and I must be making it up or have my facts wrong.
I wish.
Trin
7 Aug 08 at 9:27 pm
Someone on LJ was talking about writing a story featuring a similar incident for a writing class in college, and having the class tell him that it was too implausible.
That’s one reason we have to keep talking about her.
Lisa Harney
7 Aug 08 at 9:29 pm
Yeah, exactly.
“No paramedic would…” “No doctor would…” “No therapist would…”
I’ve had people tell me my abuse COULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED and must have been tough love.
Now, I don’t know what motivated my abuser. Maybe she even did think she was “helping,” sort of, somehow.
But you don’t commit repeated violence on people and not notice. You don’t physically torture people and not HEAR them screaming.
Sorry, side track there. :-/ But my point is, there’s this whole shield around helping professionals because they’re all assumed to be angels. When actually, sometimes the helping professions attract monsters instead.
Or sometimes people have barriers around who’s worthy of “help,” as in this case.
Trin
7 Aug 08 at 10:13 pm
Lisa,
Adrian Williams, the EMT involved in Tyra’s inintial non treatment was African-American. What was even more insulting was that Adrian Willimas was PROMOTED not long after this incident by the DC Fire Department
Monica Roberts
9 Aug 08 at 4:24 pm
Thank you, I completely forgot to mention the promotion.
I remember hearing updates about all this during the months and years after it happened, and the lack of discipline for the paramedics on the scene made me sick then and still make me sick now. :(
Lisa Harney
9 Aug 08 at 4:39 pm