Heather Winterstein’s life possibly could have been saved if treated sooner in Ontario hospital, inquest told – CBC
Medical specialist says 24-year-old’s best chance of survival was at 1st St. Catharines hospital visit
Apr 14, 2026
Heather Winterstein’s life possibly could have been saved if she’d received a different treatment, and sooner, at the St. Catharines, Ont., hospital before she died of sepsis, an infectious disease specialist told the inquest into her 2021 death.
Dr. Dominik Mertz, a professor in McMaster University’s department of medicine, said the best chance at saving Winterstein’s life came on Dec. 9, the first day the 24-year-old went to the emergency department of what is now known as Marotta Family Hospital.
Winterstein was seeking help for severe body pain, the inquest that began March 30 has heard. But the emergency department doctor who assessed her ruled out an infection, and she was sent home with a Tylenol and instructions to return to hospital if her condition deteriorated. The doctor determined “social issues” were behind her hospital visit.
