DETROIT – A mother is calling for changes at Henry Ford St. John Hospital after she says staff denied her access to her teenage son as he lay dying from gunshot wounds.
Meion Melvin said hospital staff showed little compassion when she arrived Friday after learning her 17-year-old son, Keyion Sadler, had been brought to the emergency department following a shooting on Detroit’s east side.
“They basically told me that I couldn’t go back there until the detectives came,” Melvin said.
She said she was then forced to wait outside in the heat for hours before receiving the devastating news of her son’s death.
Youth mentor Toson Knight, who came to support the family, said this incident reflects a broader pattern of how families of gunshot victims are treated at the hospital.
“I understand that a family member can’t go inside where they’re operating. My problem is they won’t even let them in the hospital,” Knight said. “Where is your common decency? This is the worst time in this family’s life.”
Melvin believes the hospital needs to develop better protocols.
“I think we were treated poorly, and I think they need to come up with a system for those types of situations, especially with minors,” she said.
In response to the allegations, Henry Ford Health issued a statement: “Our hearts go out to this family and any family that’s been irreparably impacted by violence. We work every day to treat our patients, their families, visitors, and team members with respect, kindness and compassion.”
The statement continued, “Patient privacy laws restrict us from commenting on specific cases, but we can share we are investigating these claims, and we are always committed to working with anyone who expresses concerns about their experience at one of our facilities.”
Police said the shooting happened on Eastwood near Moross and Kelly roads.
No one is in custody.
“My baby, he was loving. He was caring,” Melvin said.