The family of a 24-year-old Hilo woman who fell into a coma during a dental procedure in March has brought the young woman home from Maui Memorial Medical Center, her father said. ADVERTISING The family of a 24-year-old Hilo woman
The family of a 24-year-old Hilo woman who fell into a coma during a dental procedure in March has brought the young woman home from Maui Memorial Medical Center, her father said.
Joe Tavares said Monday his daughter, Kristen Tavares, is still in what he described as a semi-coma.
“She’s unresponsive. There’s no difference,” he said. “The big thing is, though, she’s here and we don’t have to go to Maui to be with her.”
The young mother of two was under sedation or anesthesia while having two wisdom teeth extracted in the Hilo office of Dr. John Stover, an oral surgeon, on March 17, family members said. Tavares was flown to the Maui hospital, where she stayed until she was brought home Sept. 20, her father said.
The elder Tavares said the family has incurred thousands of dollars in expenses because of his daughter’s condition.
“There’s a lot of supplies that medical (insurance) don’t cover. We’ve got to pick up that,” Joe Tavares said.
In April, the family filed a malpractice suit against Stover, who surrendered his medical and dental licenses to the state as complaints against him mounted.
“People are saying, ‘Oh, Kristen’s gonna get a big sum of money,’” Joe Tavares said. “And they don’t understand we gotta pay back the lawyer and … the insurance company and the medical bills. All that time she was on Maui, we gotta pay that. We don’t know how much we’re gonna get and we’re looking for long-term care for my daughter. She’s gonna need it.”
Another suit was filed against Stover on Oct. 2 in Hilo Circuit Court by Patricia Miguel, the mother of Curtis Wagasky, a 52-year-old homeless veteran who reportedly died three days after having a tooth extracted in December 2012 in Stover’s Kona office.
Wagasky had other prior medical conditions, according to reports.
Tavares’ family has set up an account to accept donations for her mounting medical expenses at Central Pacific Bank, as well as online donations at gofundme.com.
“We’re gonna be holding more fundraisers. They can contact me, whatever,” Joe Tavares said.
His phone number is 987-7511.
“I just want to thank the people of the Big Island for their support and prayers, the donations. They’re still helping out,” he said.
The elder Tavares said the family still has “a lot of hope.”
“That’s all we got going for us now,” he said. It’s been about seven months. She didn’t get worse. She’s still unresponsive but she’s still here. So we’ve got a lot of hope, yet. The family is strong. We’re working together and everybody is pitching in.
“Only the Lord can heal her.”
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
