In the early morning hours of April 24, doctors in Spokane intubated Alex after he struggled to breathe. An anesthesiologist on duty tried to call Katie, but the guard minding Alex stopped him. “I made all attempts to contact family but was actively prohibited from calling them directly by guard accompanying [patient] in room,” the anesthesiologist wrote in a medical note submitted that morning. “I threatened to just call wife directly but was told in strong terms not to as this was not ‘protocol.’” Asked what protocol the guard was referring to, a Department of Corrections spokesperson wrote that “incarcerated individuals are not allowed to make calls from their hospital rooms,” but did not explain why the guard prevented the doctor from calling.

How horrible. I wonder how many of the population will become similar hidden statistics if we don’t wake TF up?