Family of patient allegedly smothered in Steinbach hospital demand justice, nurse charged

The family of an alleged hospital-room assault victim still in care is seeking answers after Steinbach RCMP charged a nurse in August.

Catherine Wares expected the health-care system would keep her cousin, Jake Neufeld, safe when he had a brain aneurysm. But after a nurse allegedly attempted to smother him with a pillow, her trust has been shaken.

“How can someone put in a position to help people that are vulnerable and in their most vulnerable states, do something like that?” Wares said in an interview with The Carillon.

Steinbach RCMP charged 50-year-old Rural Municipality of Hanover resident Tammy Freynet, a nurse at Bethesda Regional Health Centre, with assault with a weapon on Aug. 26. RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Melanie Roussel said officers began their investigation after a report was made Sept. 26, 2024.

Neufeld, who was 45 at the time, was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm in May 2024 while living in Lac du Bonnet. He was transported to Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg for treatment. Nearly two weeks after the brain aneurysm, he suffered a stroke, and doctors were concerned he wouldn’t be able to survive the additional damage to his brain, Wares said.

But he recovered and was transported to Steinbach’s Bethesda Regional Health Centre for further treatment in August 2024.

Wares said Neufeld had lost his sight and couldn’t walk or move his left arm at the time of the incident. He was able to speak, but also began experiencing hallucinations; several episodes left him confused.

Wares said she would call to speak with him in an effort to help ease his anxiety and de-escalate the situation for the nurses on duty at the hospital.

On Sept. 26, Freynet was in the room with Neufeld and allegedly held the pillow over his face, Wares said. Neufeld told Wares he called for help and tried to move his arms to fight back. A health-care aide was also in the same room and a nurse came in afterward, both of whom witnessed Freynet holding the pillow, she said.

The mother of Neufeld’s children, Caroline Toews, received a call from the hospital about the incident. Toews immediately called Wares to tell her the news.

“His life has been permanently altered by the aneurysm, and now he’s got this trauma,” she said. “He may need assistance for the rest of his life, and now he’s got this trauma as well,” she said.

Wares said the incident has left a lasting impact on Neufeld and damaged his trust in medical staff. Whenever he feels like he’s not getting proper care, the memories of the alleged assault come back, retraumatizing him, she said.

Wares has worked as a health-care aide in Winnipeg for six years and said her cousin’s experience is on her mind constantly.

“I just really want all the health-care workers in Manitoba to think twice when they’re helping someone and if they’re having negative thoughts about caring for this person, that they step back because that person may be acting out, but they have loved ones too, and they deserve dignity, respect and proper care,” she said.

Neufeld was transferred to the Selkirk Regional Health Centre in November 2024 to continue his recovery, Wares said. While his sight returned, he still can’t move his left arm or walk.

“Jake deserves some kind of justice for what happened to him because now he’s got to live with that for the rest of his life,” she said.

Freynet’s nursing licence is listed as inactive as of Dec. 18, the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Manitoba’s registry shows. A note on the registry said Freynet can’t work as a nurse in any capacity and isn’t eligible for registration.

Freynet is scheduled to make a court appearance in Steinbach in November.

Southern Health would not comment on a specific patient’s care. The regional health authority investigates and reports incidents to relevant authorities, a spokesperson said in an emailed statement, which didn’t indicate whether a critical incident review is underway.

The Manitoba Nurses Union, which represents licensed practical nurses, did not respond to requests for comment.