Funeral scheduled for mom, 23, who died unexpectedly at Sutter’s Sacramento hospital
Keona Hankston, 23, was a new mom for just days when family received the shocking news that she had been declared brain-dead at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, on July 30.
Family members have scheduled a funeral at 1 p.m. Thursday at Sunset Lawn Chapel of the Chimes, 4701 Marysville Blvd., in Sacramento. They are awaiting results of an autopsy to learn cause of death.
Hankston went to the hospital July 19 because she was experiencing symptoms from COVID-19, said her sister Regina Gadlin, and her daughter Melody was delivered by cesarean section five days later. Melody was born about 14 weeks ahead of schedule, Gadlin said.
Family members were not allowed to visit Hankston because the hospital was restricting visitors amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but they said that they spent hours on video and audio phone calls with her.
She was fine for a couple of days but then complained of pain. Doctors said she had a blood clot that needed to be removed, Gadlin said, and Hankston died shortly after that procedure.
At an Aug. 3 rally outside Sutter Medical Center, Gadlin joined her sister LaToya Wilson and their mother Karina McDaniels and alleged Hankston received subpar treatment because she was African American.
Gadlin said: “In less than a day, she went from laughing and telling me about being a new mom and how bad she was ready to come home and get away from the mean staff that was treating her like she was the plague. Yes, my sister was infected with COVID-19, but let’s be clear that COVID is not responsible for her condition. It is the staff that disregarded her life and winged her procedure.”
In response to a Sacramento Bee query on the day of the rally, Sutter officials said patient privacy and legal requirements prevented them from commenting on this case but noted that providing compassionate, safe care is their highest priority.
McDaniels said she arranged a private autopsy of her daughter’s body and is considering a lawsuit.
She and Gadlin said that Hankston had a smile that could light up a room and that she loved her family.
“She was so much fun. She kept me young,” said Gadlin, noting that Hankston had lived with her. “She was very much into fashion, so everything glittered. And pink was her thing.”
McDaniels said: “She would help anybody who was in need. She was a leader, and she loved her family. Her family was her life.”
In addition to her daughter, sisters and mother, Hankston is survived by two brothers: Khamari and Stephon Stroman.
This story was originally published September 23, 2020 at 11:00 AM.
