A Lexington County family wants covid-19 removed from their mother’s death certificate.

WIS-TV reported that Brenda Grist , 68, died Oct. 5.

Her children, Robin Hooke and Ryan Brown, say she battled dementia 5 years.

“She went downhill quickly, even according to her neurologist who was following her care. She just went downhill extremely quickly,” said Hooke.

“Her kidneys were shutting down due to the terminal dementia.”

Hooke says her mother received a negative covid-19 test at Carolina Gardens in West Columbia Sept. 9.

She was admitted to Lexington Medical Center Sept. 10 for kidney failure, where she tested positive for the virus.

“Covid-19, we were told by two physicians at Lexington Medical Center, did not affect her at all,” said Hooke.

She said her mother was completely asymptomatic.

“It was her kidneys shutting down. It was her brain shutting her body down, which is what happens in terminal dementia.”

10 days after receiving the positive test, Hooke says her mother tested negative and received 2 more negative test results after being moved to PruittHealth-Ridgeway.

Nearly 2 weeks later, she says her mom had a seizure and died in the ambulance on the way to Providence Health Northeast.

“I immediately told them my mother was an organ donor and they said that because of covid, our mother would not be able to donate her organs,” said Hooke.

“I said she doesn’t have covid. Other than dementia, she was healthy as a horse,” she said.

“Her heart could have saved someone; her lungs could have saved someone.”

When they received their mother’s death certificate, they were shocked to see covid-19 listed as her primary and only cause of death.

“My brother and I are angry,” Hooke said. “That’s not why she died.”

The doctor who signed off on the death certificate told WIS he could not comment.

Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher and Richland County Coroner Gary Watts say their offices are working to make sure covid-19 deaths in their counties are accurate.

“If they test negative and then die, covid will not be listed on their death certificate as far as my office is concerned,” Fisher said.

Grist’s family says they want covid-19 removed from the death certificate.
Their top priority is to get dementia listed.

“Death certificates are really valuable in the future for genealogy reasons,” said Hooke.

“Dementia is a hereditary disease, and our great-grandchildren may need to know that their great-grandmother had dementia if they are ever diagnosed with it.”