Hospital mistakenly tells man’s family he was dead

By Corina Curry
ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man says his family was notified by hospital personnel Friday night that was dead. But, in fact, the man was alive and well.

Jason Williams, 40, still is trying to figure out what kind of mix-up prompted the staff at Freeport Memorial Hospital to call his father and step-mother and tell them that he was there and why they would tell his loved ones over the phone that he was dead.

At the time, about 10:45 p.m. Friday, Williams said he was at home with his 11-year-old son, and both were asleep.

Shortly after arriving to the hospital — about 25 minutes after the initial phone call to Williams’ father’s home in Freeport — relatives were told that it was a mistake, Williams said.

Williams said calls to his cell phone from his relatives eventually woke him up, and he was able to put his relatives at ease.

As of this afternoon, Williams said he’s called the hospital several times but still hasn’t received an explanation about how or why the mix-up occurred.

Freeport Memorial Hospital could not be reached immediately for comment.

This was found at Rockford Register Star.