Dilay Escalante took care of her giant household when she helped them transfer from Venezuela to Miami.
“I began to check due to her. I began to discover a job due to her,” mentioned her brother, Daivis Escalante.
Trying to higher their lives, Dilay went into the true property enterprise with Tainna Shepard, the spouse of NBC 6’s Willard Shepard.
“Dilay was my enterprise associate, my greatest good friend, my sister from life,” Tainna mentioned.
Regardless of Dilay’s magnificence, Tainna mentioned the 46-year-old realtor needed a change. She traveled to Colombia on April 20 to endure a gastric bypass surgical procedure by the hands of Dr. Carlos Gross sales Puccini, who had carried out the identical surgical procedure on her in 2015.
Xihomara Contreras, Dilay’s aunt, went together with her. She informed NBC 6 Dilay left the session reassured by the physician that she could be positive in three days.
Medical information present Dilay was admitted to the “Reina Catalina” clinic in Barranquilla on April 21. In response to the information, she went into the working room at 3 p.m. in “good situation,” acquired a “gastric sleeve” and was launched the identical day.
“I spoke with them after and I expressed my concern that Dilay was not left, not even 24 hours in commentary,” Tainna mentioned, including Dilay began vomiting proper after the surgical procedure.
Her household mentioned, as a result of she saved complaining of the ache and couldn’t maintain fluids down, the physician had her come to his workplace three days in a row for endoscopic dilations – procedures that stretch components of the esophagus.
Tainna spoke together with her earlier than the final one.
“She was very petrified of the process and … she hoped that point it was going to work,” Tainna mentioned.
However that didn’t cease the ache.
On April 28, Dilay left the physician’s assistant a message at 5 a.m. saying she didn’t have the energy to get an X-Ray the physician had ordered.
“…Sorry for the time, however I am in quite a lot of ache…I want the physician to ship me one thing that I can put within the IV in order that I can stroll…proper now I can not do something as a result of I may go out on the road,” Dilay might be heard saying within the message.
Her household mentioned Dr. Gross sales Puccini acquired to the house three hours later and noticed her in such dangerous situation he mentioned he was heading to the clinic to arrange the working room.
“He left. He left her behind. He didn’t name an ambulance. He left, ‘meet me on the hospital,'” Tainna mentioned.
Oscar Aviles, a household good friend, mentioned they carried Dilay into his automobile and commenced driving to the clinic the physician ordered however she was fading shortly so he took her to a close-by hospital the place she was declared useless.
In a WhatsApp chat, Puccini informed NBC 6 “There aren’t any doubts concerning the operation,” including as a result of it was a “bariatric reintervention … the abdomen was slender and endoscopic dilation was carried out and it advanced effectively.”
He additionally mentioned Dilay “didn’t endure” the X-Ray he’d requested.
Dilay’s aunt instantly went to file a grievance with native prosecutors.
“…That’s once they realized … he has eleven complaints within the State Lawyer’s Workplace,” Tainna mentioned.
NBC 6 Investigators discovered the Colombian Supreme Court docket ordered Dr. Gross sales Puccini to pay the household of certainly one of his sufferers near half 1,000,000 {dollars} in 2021 after the person died following a bariatric surgical procedure that the court docket mentioned was not endorsed by the medical group.
The surgical procedure was carried out at a special clinic.
Though the signal on his workplace’s door mentioned he’s a plastic surgeon, these credentials are being questioned by the native prosecutor’s workplace that has charged him with mendacity to the Ministry of Training about his research.
NBC 6 Investigators requested Dr. Gross sales Puccini about his credentials and the costs he faces however he didn’t reply.
“I ponder why he’s nonetheless working,” Tainna mentioned.
NBC 6 reached out to the “Reina Catalina” clinic however we haven’t heard again.
Tainna mentioned she flew to Barranquilla to fly her good friend’s stays residence.
“For me, it’s very troublesome, heartbreaking and on the similar time, I’ve a mission, I want to know what occurred,” Tainna mentioned.
Dilay’s household and buddies are awaiting her post-mortem reviews to see what occurred. They informed NBC 6 they’re sharing their story to warn others who’re pondering of flying overseas to get a process like this one.
