A 73-year-old hospice patient died of a bowel injury, which her daughter believes was caused by a rough evacuation route during wildfires. Pat Speedy died on August 9, several days after suffering a colonic perforation. Her daughter, Kimberly, told The Spokesman-Review that her mother was being evacuated on a wheeled hospital bed when the incident occurred.
Speedy, who was bedbound following a stroke, was one of the last residents to be evacuated from Spokane Health and Rehabilitation, the hospice unit where she resided. The facility began evacuations in early August as the Old Trails wildfire approached. Kimberly Speedy suspects that her mother's fatal injury resulted from being wheeled across the uneven surface of a parking lot during the evacuation.
Wildfire smoke surrounded more than 100 residents and caretakers who were waiting for assistance outside the facility when Kimberly arrived. A photograph shows Speedy lying on her trolley bed, awaiting evacuation amidst falling ash. Her daughter described her mother as a cheerful and stoic woman who maintained a positive outlook despite partial paralysis.
An ambulance transported Speedy to Shadle Park High School and subsequently to Holy Family Hospital. An X-ray at the hospital revealed a ruptured bowel. According to Kimberly, Speedy immediately felt that something was seriously wrong. For three days, Speedy experienced severe pain, and by the fourth day, she was in and out of consciousness.
Speedy was later transferred to an assisted-care facility, where she died on August 9 with her daughter present. Prior to the evacuation, Speedy had been diagnosed with Ogilvie syndrome, a condition causing colon paralysis and expansion of the large intestine. She had entered hospice care two months prior to this diagnosis but was reportedly not in pain and was able to eat regularly.
Kimberly Speedy also attributes her mother's death to Aaron Farinacci, the individual suspected of starting the Old Trails Fire. She stated that her mother would have been safe if she had not been forced to evacuate and expressed a desire for Farinacci to face charges related to Speedy's death. Farinacci has not yet been charged in connection with Speedy's death, though the sheriff's department has not ruled out the possibility. Farinacci has a prior conviction for manslaughter in 2012, related to an incident in 2010.
The Old Trails Fire destroyed over 700 structures and necessitated the evacuation of approximately 65,000 people.