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Patient at Harper Hospital claims her prosthetic leg disappeared while she was in surgery

By and Brendan Vrabel
Published  November 25, 2025 10:37pm EST
Detroit
FOX 2 Detroit
Woman's prosthetic leg disappears during hospital stay

Woman's prosthetic leg disappears during hospital stay

For three weeks, Pamala kept meticulous notes about her experience in her outpatient rehab bed, hoping things would turn up. DMC, which runs Harper Hospital, has sent over Sarah, Brenda, Randall, Erica, and Tom, but no one has provided compensation.

The Brief

    • A patient at Harper Hospital in Detroit says her prosthetic leg, dentures, and even her mother's ashes disappeared while she was put under.
    • In November, she went in with her left leg and came out without it, as it had to be amputated.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A patient at Harper Hospital in Detroit claims that while she was undergoing leg amputation surgery, her prosthetic leg, dentures, and even her mother's ashes disappeared.

The elderly woman, Pamala Bronner, has turned to FOX 2 for assistance.

Big picture view:

Pamala Bronner is familiar with Harper Hospital in downtown Detroit due to her blood disease, which has necessitated over 30 surgeries, and she is also a breast cancer survivor. In November, she went in with her left leg and came out without it, as it had to be amputated.

"They kept me in ICU for five days trying to get blood flow through my legs, and my foot and leg turned black," she said.

Adding insult to literal injury, when she came out of ICU, her belongings were gone.

For three weeks, Pamala kept meticulous notes about her experience in her outpatient rehab bed, hoping things would turn up. DMC, which runs Harper Hospital, has sent over Sarah, Brenda, Randall, Erica, and Tom, but no one has provided compensation.

"I need my prosthesis to be able to walk," she said. "It's beyond ridiculous, and everybody that works here and over at Harper says they have never heard of anything like this before."

The other side:

FOX 2 informed DMC of her tragic story, and this was their rather vague response:

"Each year, we care for thousands of patients, including those arriving with critical conditions and in emergency situations where belongings may not be immediately inventoried. We have processes in place to secure patients' items whenever possible. If something is reported missing, we investigate thoroughly and work directly with the patient to address the matter."

DetroitCrime and Public Safety