New York City ER doctor, 48, commits suicide after telling her family about the trauma of witnessing her patients dying from coronavirus
- Dr. Lorna M. Breen, the medical director of the emergency department at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, died in Charlottesville, Virginia on Sunday
- In the days before, the 48-year-old recounted to family members a series of traumatic scenes she’d witnessed working in the Manhattan hospital
- Breen had recently contracted COVID-19 but had returned to work at Allen after just a week-and-a-half of rest
- But when the hospital sent her home, her father Dr. Philip C. Breen brought her back to her family’s home in Charlottesville to help her properly recuperate
- On Sunday, however, officers from the Charlottesville Police Department responded to a call seeking medical assistance after Breen attempted suicide
- She was rushed to hospital but later succumbed to her self-inflicted injuries
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
By Luke Kenton For Dailymail.com
Published: | Updated:
A top emergency room doctor battling on the frontlines of the coronavirus outbreak in New York City died by suicide over the weekend, her family members have revealed.
Dr. Lorna M. Breen, the medical director of the emergency department at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, died in Charlottesville, Virginia on Sunday.
In the days leading up to her death, the 48-year-old reportedly recounted to family members a series of traumatic scenes she’d witnessed working in the Manhattan hospital, including an onslaught of patients dying in front of her before they could even be removed from ambulances.
Breen had recently contracted COVID-19 but had returned to work at Allen after a week-and-a-half of rest. After the hospital sent her home, she re-located to Charlottesville to recuperate under the instructions of her father, Dr. Philip C. Breen.
Dr. Lorna M. Breen, the medical director of the emergency department at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, died in Charlottesville, Virginia on Sunday
Breen had recently contracted COVID-19 but had returned to work at Allen after a week-and-a-half of rest. But after the hospital sent her home, she re-located to Charlottesville to recuperate under the instructions of her father
The grieving 71-year-old father (center) said Breen (left) had no history of mental illness, but during their final conversation together he noticed his daughter seemed detached and began to suspect something might be wrong
On Sunday, however, officers from the Charlottesville Police Department responded to a call seeking medical assistance after Breen made an attempt on her own life.
‘The victim was taken to U.V.A. Hospital for treatment, but later succumbed to self-inflicted injuries,’ department spokesperson Tyler Hawn told the New York Times.
Just days before, Breen’s father recounted how she appeared troubled by the devastating scenes she had witnessed while working with coronavirus patients at Allen.
‘She tried to do her job, and it killed her,’ Phillip Breen told the Times. ‘She was truly in the trenches of the front line.’
The grieving 71-year-old father said Breen had no history of mental illness, but during their final conversation together he noticed his daughter seemed detached and began to suspect something might be wrong.
‘Make sure she’s praised as a hero, because she was,’ he urged. ‘She’s a casualty just as much as anyone else who has died.’
NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital has not yet returned request from DailyMail.com for comment.
‘Make sure she’s praised as a hero, because she was,’ father Philip Breen (seen left) urged. ‘She’s a casualty just as much as anyone else who has died’
New York currently has 291,000 recorded cases of coronavirus, and more than 17,000 deaths
According to the Times, Dr. Angela Mills, the head of emergency medical services for several NewYork-Presbyterian campuses, including Allen, informed staffers of Breen’s tragic death in an email on Sunday night.
‘A death presents us with many questions that we may not be able to answer,’ a segment of the email read, which made no mention as to the cause of Breen’s death.
Located in northern Manhattan, the 200-bed Allen Hospital has been regularly been overwhelmed since the outbreak began, housing as many as 170 COVID-19 patients at times.
Emergency medicine physician, Dr. Dara Kass, who worked with Breen at the facility said even when she was at home recovering from the virus, Breen still made sure to regularly contact her colleagues to check-in on how they were and if they had the medical equipment they needed.
‘She was always the physician who was looking out for other people’s health and well-being,’ Kass said.
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