Suddie Funeral Home to compensate family after cremation mix-up

The Suddie Funeral Home’s Management Committee has agreed to compensate the family of Nathan Fiedtkou, whose corpse was accidentally cremated due to a mix-up.

While the Fiedtkou family was contemplating legal action against the funeral home, Chairman of the Management Committee, Charran Sarabjeet, along with the Chairman of the Health and Sanitation Committee, Arnold Adams, Regional Health Officer Dr. Ranjeev Singh, and other members of the committee met with them and compensation of over $1 million was agreed.

The family of Oodit Ram, which was mistakenly given Fiedtkou’s body and cremated it after performing Hindu rituals, is also calling for full compensation.

Ram, 71, of Mainstay, died from COVID-19. The Ram family was advised by Health officials that they could not open the coffin and as such did not know that they cremated Fiedtkou instead of Ram.

On Sunday, when the Fiedtkou’s family showed up at the Suddie Funeral Home, they were told by staff that there was a mix-up and their relative’s body had already been cremated.

The family had already arranged for the funeral service and had to proceed without a body. A coffin and clothing had been bought and a tomb was built.

Stacy Fiedtkou, the granddaughter of Nathan, said that her family remains traumatised by the entire ordeal.

“I cannot think. Last night I cried because I feel that there is no closure. I have not seen my grandfather in many years. I came for the funeral and cannot even see him physically,” she said.  

Rakesh Ram, the son of Oodit, said the Management Committee decided that they will bury his father’s body for him.

Meanwhile, the supervisor of the funeral home is reported to be facing dismissal due to the mix- up. He is said to be claiming that the bodies were neither properly wrapped nor tagged when sent from the Suddie Public Hospital. The man, who also said the funeral home is understaffed, claimed that he was not at work at the time the mix-up occurred and was, therefore, not to be blamed. He further noted that it is very difficult to deal with persons who died from COVID-19.

In light of the mix-up, Adams said that bodies leaving public hospitals will have to be tagged properly. He offered condolences to both families for the negligence and assured there would be no recurrence.