HALIFAX, June 11, 2025 – A Halifax-area woman received a terminal breast cancer diagnosis last week—only to learn days later that a hospital had mixed up her medical records with another patient’s.
Terminal Verdict Sparks Preparations
Thirty-one-year-old Gabriella Patey first heard she had advanced breast cancer on June 4. Family and friends rallied around her as she applied for critical illness insurance and put her name on the list for medically assisted dying.
“I just accepted it. It is what it is, and it’s devastating,” Patey said.
From Relief to Shock
The confusion began in October 2023, weeks after Patey lost her mother to breast cancer. She noticed a lump on her left breast and attended the Breast Health Clinic at IWK Health Centre for scans and ultrasounds.
On May 17, following a biopsy, Patey was told the tumor was benign. She and her husband celebrated.
But on June 4, her family doctor called with a grim update: Patey had invasive breast cancer. The news came just days after she finished treatment for thyroid cancer.
Error Revealed
Within 48 hours, Patey’s GP uncovered a serious mistake: the grim diagnosis record belonged to another patient. Patey’s own lab report showed benign breast tissue with “no in situ and invasive malignancy.”
“One of the directors of pathology spoke directly to my primary care physician…and verbally acknowledged this was a serious patient error,” Patey said.
Trauma and Loss of Trust
Patey has repeatedly sought a formal apology and written explanation from the IWK and the Nova Scotia Health Authority, but received no response—until Tuesday, when an IWK representative finally apologized and promised a written statement.
“It was such a shock to get a diagnosis like that,” Patey said. “We cry ourselves to sleep every night.” She remains worried about the other woman who may still believe she is cancer-free.
Calls for Accountability
Patey has launched legal action and is demanding changes to prevent similar errors. “If this could happen to me, who else could it happen to?” she asked.
An IWK spokesperson told Global News: “We take concerns of this nature very seriously and have initiated a formal investigation with our Quality, Patient Safety and Patient Experience teams.”
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