False teeth, real problem.
An intensive care patient at Parkridge Medical Center lost his dentures last week when a hospital employee mistakenly gave them to the family of a dead man who had occupied the same room.
Court records show that Kenneth Ray Manis, 76, died June 12 at Parkridge. His personal belongings — along with the dentures that weren’t his — were placed in a box inside the coffin at Chattanooga National Cemetery.
Now Manis’ body is being exhumed after his family learned of the dentures and requested “that the personal belongings that don’t belong to the deceased be extracted from the coffin,” according to hospital spokeswoman Alison Counts.
Parkridge apologized to both families, Counts said.
A court order drafted by Hamilton County Chancellor Frank Brown states Parkridge “shall bear the costs of such interment and reburial,” along with attorney fees up to $1,250.
“We’re also paying for new dentures,” Counts said. “We hope that this will bring peace and closure to the Manis family.”
The dentures are the only misplaced object inside Manis’ coffin, said Counts, who did not know how the hospital learned of the error.
Chattanooga National Cemetery maintenance operations foreman Bill Hartley declined to give details of when the exhumation will take place, but he confirmed it hasn’t happened yet.
“We’re trying to honor the family and the veteran,” he said. “We can’t disclose any information or anything.”
Parkridge officials said they would not release the name of the man who lost his dentures.
Chris Carroll covers federal politics for the Times Free Press. A Chattanooga native, he went to Red Bank High School and graduated with honors from East Tennessee State University. Chris investigated violent crime, municipal government and hospitals before taking the political beat. For tornado coverage, he and Pam Sohn won a first-place Tennessee Associated Press Managing Editors deadline reporting award. In 2010, Chris won the Golden Press Card Award of Merit and another deadline reporting ...
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I sure as heck wouldn't want the those dentures back after they had been buried with a dead man, honored veteran or not.
No disrespect to either parties involved but if Parkridge has agreed to replace the dentures, why are they going thru with exuming the deceased? That has to be a hard thing for the family to deal with....why not replace the dentures and leave things alone?
I guess simply replacing the dentures makes too much sense. I mean why wouldn't they, and their chosen alternative of exuming the poor guy...ewwww!
"Now Manis’ body is being exhumed after his family learned of the dentures and requested “that the personal belongings that don’t belong to the deceased be extracted from the coffin,”
Looks to be why.
Some people obviously didn't read the article before commenting.
Some people did read the article....those some people just dont understand why the family would want to go through that if the dentures are being replaced.
his family doesn't want him buried with something that wasn't his in his coffin. that is there wish and they don't need anyone else to understand it.
The Veteran's FAMILY are the ones making the request to remove the dentures because THEY DON'T BELONG TO THE VERTERAN... NOT the family of the man who LOST the dentures...HE'S getting NEW dentures! He's NOT taking the old ones back!!
GOOD GRIEF!! READ THE ARTICLE!!
Wow....SLOW DOWN and read people.
Now Manis’ body is being exhumed after his family learned of the dentures and requested “that the personal belongings that don’t belong to the deceased be extracted from the coffin,” according to hospital spokeswoman Alison Counts.*
“We’re also paying for new dentures,” Counts said. “We hope that this will bring peace and closure to the Manis family.”
I realized it was the family's request when I read and commented on it. And it's true we don't need to understand it. The "ewww" factor still applies. Plus Parkridge is paying for the exumation. They will undoubtly pass that on to patients somehow. However, with all due respect, I sincerely hope the family of Kenneth Ray Manis gets the peace they deserve for they have undoubtly been through a lot.
This all sounds like the making of a ghost to me.
Yeah, the guy is going to come back rattling chains and saying..."I want my teeeeeeth". I know, I'm probably going to hell...at least I won't be lonely ;)
question: How did somebody not notice the dentures at the viewing? "Heeeeyyyy...i didnt know grand-dad had a diamond encrusted grill!?!?!" Leave the dang dentures in the ground...newsflash...he isnt going to need them anymore. It doesnt really matter at this point!
Why was this even in the paper? It should have been left private in consideration of the families involved. The public did not benefit from knowing this information.
Why was this even in the paper? It should have been left private in consideration of the families involved. The public did not benefit from knowing this information.
Because people around here love reading about this kind of crap and the Times Free Press knows it.
Yeah those bad newspaper people. Digging up court records (your tax dollars at work) as they pursue the story that was picked up by the Washington Post, Huffington Post and AP
what many insensitive commenters don't realize is that when the rapture comes, that dead man will need his choppers if he is to enjoy something other than soft-serve ice cream and grits as he sits with jesus; suppose the lord christ suggests a caramel apple (i'm sure they have those in heaven!)? would you want to be the toothless fool to stammer, telling jesus thru your flapping lips, 'no thanks'? of course not! parkridge better get cracking-- the end is near, and godly folk will want every bone in their head!
This dental blooper must have brought some distress to the family of the man whose dentures got buried, and I would suppose even more grief to the family of the man who died. Paying for the exhumation and offering apologies don’t even come close to justice.
Bob - http://www.smile-lincs.co.uk/
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