By Chris Snellgrove | Published
In 2022, Star Trek lost one of its biggest icons. Nichelle Nichols played Uhura in it The Original Series and continued to play the character for six films. He was a Civil Rights legend whose work on the original Trek was praised by none other than Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Thanks to her amazing performance, Uhura became a pop culture legend, who has been portrayed by two other talented ladies: Zoe Saldaña and Celia Rose Gooding. Sadly, Nichols died a few years ago of heart failure. At the time, fans had no reason to suspect his death, especially because he was 89 years old and already suffering from dementia.
However, last year, Nichols' family sued Gila Regional Medical Center for wrongful death. In a statement sent to Albuquerque-area, New Mexico news station KOAT, the family's attorney, Lisa Curtis, alleged that “they didn't do heart surgery. Instead, they took him home. He died seven hours later.” At that time it was not clear whether the case would succeed. However, this family won the hard way and was recently awarded 13 million dollars after winning the case.
His Last Hours of Suffering
Good warning, Star Trek fans: Nichelle Nichols' final hours are very dark. He was already suffering from dementia and heart disease; when his heart started working, he was taken by ambulance to Gila Regional Medical Center. What he was experiencing appeared to be symptoms of a heart attack. However, the Nichols family's attorney, Lisa Curtis, told KOAT that they “put him in the observation room” instead of doing heart work or transferring him to another location (like “Las Cruces, where they have cardiologists on staff”). Curtis says Nichols was immediately released and sent home, where he died seven hours later.
The family's lawsuit was successful, and as a result of the recent verdict, they will receive thirteen million dollars. It reportedly took the jury several hours to find Gila Regional Medical Center guilty of negligence. The case also determined certain levels of liability for the various parties involved. One of Nichols' doctors was found 60 percent guilty, while the other doctor was found not guilty at all. As for GRMC, they are held 40 percent responsible for the crime involving the death of this Star Trek icon. This represents a major victory for Nichols' son, Kyle, who pointed out that if a big celebrity can get treated like a slob, the same thing can happen to him. or anyone.
While this decision may bring closure to Nichelle Nichols' family, it won't do that to her Star Trek fans. At the time of his death, many fans thought his passing was the inevitable (if obviously tragic) result of old age and declining health. Now, this case has revealed that he may still be alive if he had received better health care when he needed it most. However, grieving fans may want to follow in his son's footsteps and do their best to create something that Nichols assures us is all possible: a better future.
