HALIFAX – A Wolfville woman who lost her daughter due to a medical error is hopeful a new art installation will raise greater awareness about the issue.
Tanya Barnett lost her daughter Jessica to an undiagnosed heart arrhythmia nearly eight years ago.
She has been an advocate ever since for greater transparency and communication when it comes to medical errors.
Now Barnett is funneling her efforts into Project Art Installation. She is collecting hundreds of pairs of shoes for an art project to represent people who have been harmed by or died from medical mistakes.
“What the shoes tell is not only that they were here but that they were a person. They’re more than a statistic, more than a number, that they had personal items. They were loved and had families. They lived full lives and they were real people.”
Barnett said the visual of a pair of shoes can create a personal and emotional connection with the person who wore them.
“We all see people every day from different walks of life. Boots, shoes, skates, rollerblades, athletic shoes — it tells the story of who that person was and still is in the hearts of their family,” she said.
Barnett said she has already collected a couple dozen pairs of shoes, ranging from sandals to boots to children’s slippers. The footwear has poured in from across Canada, the United States and Australia.
“The public needs to be aware of this. I don’t think, for the most part, the public understands the extent of medical harm.”
In August 2014, Nova Scotia start releasing information about patient incidents online.
A Canadian Medical Association Journalist article from 2004 states approximately 7.5 per cent of patients in 2000 experienced an adverse medical error.
A report from Canadian Institute for Health Information in 2004 shows that while most patients recovered from adverse medical events, approximately 21 per cent died.
Bartnett is quickly approaching the eight anniversary of her daughter’s death. She said Jessica’s spirit is guiding this art project.
“I know she’s behind me. She’s back me through this. I know she would be helping me tie the shoelaces and tag the shoes. If she were here today, that’s what she would be doing with me. She’d be part of this project. I’m following what she would like me to do,” she said with a smile.
Barnett is hoping the installation will be up and running by the fall or early next year. She wants the project to start in Halifax and is hopeful it can become a traveling installation with stops across Canada and the United States.
Anyone interested can find more information at projectjessica.ca
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