Judy Frennier-Ryan

PLATTSBURGH — Meghan Ryan believes the only reason her mother was tested for COVID-19 at all was because she asked the coroner to have the test done post-mortem.

Judy Frennier-Ryan, a 65-year-old resident at the Essex Center nursing facility in Elizabethtown since February, died Monday due to what were determined to be novel coronavirus-related causes.

“She would want there to be justice so that way no one else gets sick because she’s all about the community, what’s better for the whole,” Meghan told The Press-Republican.

“That’s why we’re talking because that’s what she would have wanted. She would have wanted to know that others were being taken care of, even if it was at the cost of her own life.”

The Essex County Health Department announced two other deaths connected with the Essex Center Thursday. Twenty-four other residents had been identified as positive case-patients Wednesday.

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Not her normal self

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Judy was staying in the temporary rehabilitation unit, and up until the past few weeks or so had her own room.

According to Meghan, she was sick within a couple weeks of getting a roommate.

During their phone calls in the week leading up to Judy’s death, Meghan said it sounded as if her mother had fluid in her lungs and was not her normal self, almost as if she had a cold.

Meghan’s brother, Kyle Ryan, said his mother had told him her roommate was sick and coughing, but that she was fine and not to worry.

“Classic Judy thing to say. Even though she might think she might be ill … she didn’t want to make the kids or anyone else worry.”

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Put on oxygen

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Then on Saturday, Judy was put on oxygen and was having chest pains, Meghan said.

“To me, it’s insane that they didn’t even think to test her even when she was having a slight cough days before.”

When the two spoke on the phone after Judy was taken off oxygen, Judy sounded exhausted and like she had a lot of chest congestion, Meghan said.

Judy was scheduled for a chest X-ray at 11 a.m. Sunday, Kyle said. It was postponed and Meghan kept following up with the nursing home regarding the procedure throughout the day.

Meghan said a staff member told her it was because someone was sent home early, so there were not enough people to transport her mother to get her X-ray, but that she would definitely be taken in once the third shift came on.

However, when they spoke at 9:30 p.m., Judy told her daughter that had yet to occur.

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Two other deaths

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The mother and daughter signed off with a typical, “Love you, good night, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

The following morning, Meghan and Kyle were left voice messages from the Essex Center saying there was an emergency.

Judy’s oxygen levels had dropped and an ambulance was called.

“She stops breathing and they can’t revive her,” Meghan said.

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Deserved more

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Meghan and Kyle both say the Essex Center has not contacted them since Judy’s death, and that neither were informed about an employee testing positive at the end of July.

Health officials said at the time that the individual works in an area with minimal exposure to residents.

Since a transplant last September, every possible ball has been dropped with regard to Judy’s care, aiding and abetting her discomfort, Kyle said.

“At this point, I’m just — I’m beyond words. It’s not even like I’m sad anymore. I’m angry, I’m very angry because there’s no justice for my mom whatsoever.

“She was too sweet of a woman to be leaving the earth in that fashion. She deserved more than that.”

Judy spent her career in Social Services, working in both adult and child protective services.

“But who was there to protect her?” Meghan said.

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Gave to others

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Aside from Meghan and Kyle, Judy is survived by another son, Sean Ryan, and her husband of 41 years, Gregory Ryan.

She volunteered in the community, including at the food shelf, Meghan said.

Through SUNY Plattsburgh, she would take future social workers under her wing as “the teacher of tomorrow,” and, after her retirement, she worked at Kinney Drugs on Boynton Avenue for a time.

“She just was the kind of person that always brought a smile to your face, always gave to others, always willing to go in when someone needed her and go the extra mile for everybody else,” Meghan said.

Kyle said Judy was the kind of mom that her kids would be afraid to go to the store with, since it was never simply a five-minute trip.

“It was go to the store, spend two hours (there) because you’re going to run into 60 people that you know because you work at DSS,” he said, humorously.

And, though not in a biological sense, Judy was a mom to many, Kyle added.

“Don’t think of it as we’re losing a part of ourselves,” he said. “Think of it as we’re all gaining a piece of her to take on with us for the rest of our lives.”

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Want investigation

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Meghan acknowledged that Judy had a lot of heart issues.

“I’m not saying she would have necessarily survived COVID, even if she had had a positive test, but they could have at least prevented more people from getting sick” by testing her sooner, she said.

She hopes that having Judy tested post-mortem will help save lives, but was still fearful more people would test positive and was concerned about the delay in turnaround for results.

Meghan has a lot of questions: What protocols is the Essex Center following to prevent others from getting sick? Are the employees being properly trained? What is the facility doing to have proper staffing? And would her mother have been tested for COVID-19 had she not demanded it?

Close family friend Amanda Bulris-Allen has filed a report with the state Department of Health’s Centralized Complaint Intake Unit regarding Judy’s case. Meghan and Kyle plan to work with her on that.

Bulris-Allen posted on her Facebook page a screenshot of an email from the unit saying her concerns had been assigned a case number and would be forwarded for investigation.

Meghan hopes others who have concerns about their loved ones who reside in Essex Center will also contact DOH.

“I think that they should be investigated 100 percent on their practices because no one’s parent or loved one or aunt, uncle, sister, brother, child should have to have an unnecessary death like that.”

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Report concerns

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According to the state Department of Health, individuals who have a complaint or concern about a nursing home should contact the Centralized Complaint Intake directly at 1-888-201-4563, so appropriate action can be taken.

At the conclusion of every investigation, the outcome is shared with the complainant.

Local ombudsmen advocate for long-term residents and are trained to investigate and resolve complaints.

Amy Gehrig, the New York State long-term care ombudsman coordinator for Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties can be reached at 518-562-1732 or amy@ncci-online.com.