Video Shows Man Crawling To The Exit Door After Doctor Assumed He Was Faking It

A heartbreaking video recently went viral on social media that shows a man crawling out of a hospital in Canada

The doctors from the Humber River Hospital assumed the man was “faking” his intense leg pain. The viral video showed the 45-year-old man on all fours dragging himself out of the hospital with no help. 

(Humber River Hospital)

David Pontone told how the doctors thought he was faking it since he was bipolar

“They thought I was faking it because I was bipolar,” Pontone told CBC of the April 2018 incident.

David was discharged even though he was suffering from unbearable pain. The CBC News reported that staffers dismissed his problem as being psychological and discharged him without treatment.

(Humber River Hospital)

“There are no words to describe what I went through that night.”

CBC News obtained the shocking surveillance footage which clearly shows what Pantone went through that night.

David Pantone was diagnosed with a rare nerve disorder

Pontone told the doctors he has been stable for seven years since he regularly takes medication to treat his bipolar disorder but the doctors didn't take him seriously. Later, he was diagnosed with a rare nerve disorder.

According to the CBC News, revealing his mental health history prompted a doctor to order an MRI and refer him to an on-call psychiatrist. 

Pontone clearly told he was experiencing physical pain, but the psychiatrist wrote that “anxiety” was his most dominant symptom.

According to CBS News, the hospital records states Pontone’s visit was due to his “bipolar.” The records didn't mention his trouble walking.

(Humber River Hospital)

The nurse told him to stand up and that he is a big boy

The psychiatrist did the MRI which didn't reveal unusual results. Pantone was then discharged as the psychiatrist thought the results were clear. This resulted in the poor man dragging himself out of the hospital with people looking at him.

“The pain was unbearable,” said Pontone. “To be able to walk properly was impossible.”

The video also shows a nurse standing beside him.

“The nurse kept saying, ‘You’re a big boy! You’re strong! Come on, big boy, stand up!'” said Pontone. “I was angry. I felt totally helpless.” 

(Humber River Hospital)

David Pantone was later taken to Toronto Western Hospital where he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome

It was a very difficult time for David Pantone. He took 20 minutes to reach the exit from where a security guard helped him into a taxi. When he reached the home, an ambulance took him to Toronto Western Hospital. A neurologist did his thorough check-up and diagnosed him with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a disorder in which a person’s immune system attacks their nerves. 

According to the reports, often the medical staff fail to diagnose physical health problems in people who suffer mental illness.

Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos, psychiatrist and physician-in-chief at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, said:

“We are failing this population miserably.” 

“[The system] is flawed and we need to do a better job at seeing people as human beings.”

The hospital's chief nursing executive Vanessa Burkoski apologized to Pantone and his family for mishandling the case. 

Hospital spokesman Joe Gorman sent a statement which says:

"The hospital is deeply troubled by the incident and that staffers involved were dealt with accordingly."