23-year-old Navy veteran, James Muniz, recently passed away in an Arizona hospital after undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor.

“He was failed in so many ways by our healthcare system, down to his last breath.” -Serena Muniz, sister of James.

Muniz recently returned to his home state of Arizona, following an honorable discharge from the Navy. After an onset of seizures, Muniz was brought to a trauma center in Arizona.

James Muniz (photo courtesy of the Muniz family)

It was there that the former Corpsman was found to have a glioma tumor in the middle of his brain after losing the ability to speak.

In coordination with the VA, the hospital produced an optimistic looking treatment plan, including a surgery to remove the tumor. A full recovery was expected.

After a seemingly successful surgery, Muniz was given narcotics while in recovery, masking troubling symptoms.

Eventually, Muniz coded while his father was in the room. His father called for help, but says nobody immediately answered his pleas.

James Muniz lost brain function and needed to be intubated. A day later, he was removed from life support.

Muniz’s family was seemingly given no explanation as to why a healthy young man suddenly lost brain function and question how this could have been prevented.

Both the veteran community and the loved ones of the deceased are calling for further action regarding his death. Additionally, issues regarding the American healthcare system and medical care for veterans as a whole is put under scrutiny.

A statement from the families GoFundMe: “My brother served in the Navy and has been waiting to get coverage from the VA. He has no insurance and my family cannot take on the costs of his surgeries / recovery alone.”

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