Frostbite amputations hit 10-year high in Edmonton last winter, new data show – CBC
‘The vast, vast majority of these individuals were unhoused,’ says emergency physician
Jan 11, 2023
Laurie-Lynn Discoteau went to the University of Alberta Hospital one evening in November 2022, seeking help for a painful and swollen infected foot.
The swelling meant her shoe and sock didn’t fit on the foot, resulting in frostbite.
After surgery, Discoteau says she was discharged with only a light bandage.
When she couldn’t recall the address of the place she’d been staying, she says the hospital staff put her in a cab to the Hope Mission shelter in central Edmonton, assuring her that the staff there had been notified and would bring her in immediately.
Upon arrival she recalls being told by shelter staff the facility was full and they’d had no call from the hospital.
“I had to wait for two hours outside in the cold. I think it was –40 with the wind chill that night,” she said in a recent interview with CBC News.
Hope Mission says after speaking to staff and reviewing CCTV footage, they can’t confirm Discoteau came to the shelter.
