Backgrounder: Pearl Gambler’s Experience at Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton

Pearl Gambler is a member of the Bigstone Cree First Nation. In 2020, Ms. Gambler was
pregnant with her third child and had an estimated due date of November 1, 2020. Her prenatal,
perinatal, and postnatal care was managed by an Edmonton obstetrician.

On June 3, 2020, Ms. Gambler underwent an obstetrical ultrasound which showed no

abnormalities, a fetal heart rate of 149bpm, and a closed cervix with an estimated gestational age
of 18 weeks and 3 days.

On June 10th, Ms. Gambler visited her obstetrician with concerns about abnormal pain. Her
obstetrician sent Ms. Gambler home.

On June 11th, 2020, Ms. Gambler returned to her obstetrician’s clinic, suffering from cramps.
Her obstetrician instructed Ms. Gambler to go to the hospital to possibly have a cervical stitch
inserted. Her obstetrician advised Ms. Gambler that she had arranged to have an obstetrical bed
reserved for Ms. Gambler at the hospital.

When she arrived at the obstetrical unit at Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton, Ms.
Gambler was wearing a shirt that said “Strong. Resilient. Indigenous.” She was also wearing her
hair in two braids. The Hospital staff person at the desk looked at her and said, “there is nothing
for you here.” Ms. Gambler and her partner continued to insist that her obstetrician had secured
a bed for Ms. Gambler, but the staff person simply repeated “there is nothing for you here” and
told her to go to the emergency room.

Ms. Gambler waited several hours at the emergency room. Eventually she was admitted to a
surgical ward and housed in a room with 3 other patients and was later taken for a cervical
ultrasound.

Ms. Gambler continued to ask for the results of her ultrasound but was told that only her doctor
could give her that information. She waited all night. Her partner was told that he had to leave
due to COVID restrictions.

Between 7:30 am and 7:48am on June 12, 2020, Ms. Gambler was seen by two unknown
physicians who advised Ms. Gambler that they would not conduct a vaginal exam due to the
concern that it would disrupt the cervix and result in increased contractions and the possible
delivery of her premature fetus.

On June 12th at approximately 8:20am, her obstetrician first attended on Ms. Gambler with a
nurse, and told her that she had to perform a vaginal exam to inspect her cervix. Ms. Gambler
resisted the vaginal exam due to the information given to her by the two unknown physicians in
the hour prior to her obstetrician’s arrival. Ms. Gambler eventually consented under what she felt
was duress, and her obstetrician performed a vaginal exam which caused Ms. Gambler an
immense amount of pain, unlike any she had experienced in any vaginal exams during her 3
pregnancies. Her obstetrician then left her alone.

Ms. Gambler immediately experienced the onset of intense contractions after her obstetrician’s
vaginal exam. Ms. Gambler repeatedly called for assistance from nursing staff at the Hospital.

Nov 3, 2022
Several staff members promised to bring back a nurse or doctor for help, but no one came for a
lengthy period of time.

On June 12th at approximately 9:28am, Ms. Gambler delivered her daughter, Sahikitowin. The
nurse who had previously attended with her obstetrician was present. Ms. Gambler cried out to
him for help and told him that the baby was coming. He stood to the side of the room with his
hand over his mouth and did not move to help Ms. Gambler. Ms. Gambler continued to plead
with this nurse to help her or to get additional help. He did not move while Ms. Gambler
delivered her baby alone with no help.

Eventually the nurse left to get help, but he didn’t return.

Upon delivery, the baby was alive and gasping for air. The baby was not provided with any
medical care after she was born, nor was a physician called to assess the baby or Ms. Gambler.

Ms. Gambler’s partner, who had by this time been allowed to return, also tried to get help but to
no avail.

About 20 minutes after Ms. Gambler delivered the baby, several nurses finally arrived. They cut
the umbilical cord and told Ms. Gambler and her partner that their daughter was gone. They took
the baby away. Sahikitowin was later seen by Ms. Gambler’s friend in a basket on a shelf at the
nursing station. Medical records show that she was still gasping for air 32 minutes after she was
delivered.

There is no record of the time of death, nor a record of live birth.

Ms. Gambler’s placenta did not deliver spontaneously, so Ms. Gambler was administered
oxytocin, causing intense contractions for almost 6 hours to deliver her placenta, causing
hemorrhaging. The same nurse who had failed to provide help earlier, insisted that Ms. Gambler
was fine despite intense bleeding.

After over 5 hours, Ms. Gambler was taken to surgery to manually remove the placenta.

Before she went for surgery, Ms. Gambler was asked by a hospital staff member whether she
would like to take her “specimen” home. When Ms. Gambler asked whether the staff person was
asking about her daughter, the staff person said yes. Ms. Gambler insisted that her daughter,
who was born alive, would be coming home with her and would receive a proper burial.

On June 29, 2020, Ms. Gambler had a follow-up appointment with her obstetrician. She
questioned her obstetrician on the care, or lack of care, she received and what went wrong. Her
obstetrician told Ms. Gambler that she had a healthy baby girl and that she needed to get
pregnant again, and that she should return to work to distract her mind. This was 2 weeks after
Ms. Gambler lost her child and experienced emotional, psychological, and physical trauma.

Nov 3, 2022