“We Found Her Cold and Unresponsive”

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – A grieving family is demanding answers following the death of a 36-year-old mother at Princess Margaret Hospital.

Relatives allege medical neglect and a lack of communication from health officials, saying they walked into a hospital ward only to find their loved one already dead.

Sixteen-year-old Shamyah Adderley is trying to remain strong as she prepares to finish her final year of high school—without her mother.

Her mother, 36-year-old Clanesha Adderley, went to hospital seeking medical care. According to her family, she never came home.

Shamyah says the moment her family entered the hospital ward is something she will never forget.

She recalls pulling back the curtain and finding her mother sitting upright in the corner of the bed, her oxygen mask displaced, her mouth open, and tears dried on her face. Shamyah believes it appeared her mother had been struggling and possibly trying to call for help.

Clanesha’s grandmother, Vernitta Adderley, says when the family arrived for what they believed was a routine visit, the curtains were already drawn. Their loved one was unresponsive.

According to relatives, Clanesha was admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital on October 30th, 2025, after suffering severe abdominal pain. She remained hospitalized for 14 days. Less than a month later, on November 14th, she was dead.

Vernitta says her daughter sent her a voice message on the very day she died, claiming she was being given medication she did not consent to and asking the family to seek legal help.

She says she has saved voice notes and messages recorded from the time her daughter entered Accident and Emergency through to her final day.

Clanesha’s father, Clay Adderley, says this is not the family’s first traumatic experience at the facility.

He recalls a previous hospitalization in 2008 following what was supposed to be a routine procedure, saying complications nearly cost his daughter her life and left her in intensive care for nearly a month. He describes the current situation as painful déjà vu.

Health and Wellness Minister Dr. Michael Darville has since addressed the matter, confirming that an investigation is underway.

He says the ministry is committed to uncovering the facts and promises transparency should any wrongdoing be found—whether at the institutional level or involving individual caregivers.

In the meantime, the Adderley family says it is preparing to seek legal advice, insisting that Clanesha and her daughter deserve justice.