The family of a Gwinnett County man, Jermaine Nelson, mourns his sudden decline and eventual passing after a series of delays in receiving his lab test results. According to his partner, Kenneth Thomas, Nelson went from being healthy to seriously ill in just fourteen days, experiencing symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and vomiting in late January.

Thomas recounted how he took Nelson to the Piedmont Eastside Medical Center's emergency room on Jan. 23, where he was diagnosed with the flu and prescribed ibuprofen. Despite returning to the ER twice more within the week as Nelson's condition worsened, doctors allegedly didn't admit him but sent him home with more medications.

Medical records obtained by Channel 2 Action News revealed that Nelson's pulse dropped from 95 to 65 within a few visits. It wasn't until the fourth visit that a doctor informed Thomas about the hospital's lab system being down for weeks. This delay meant that Nelson's lab results were still pending, with no communication about his blood findings.

According to Thomas, the ER doctor mentioned that the hospital was sending the blood work to a neighboring Piedmont Hospital for processing. The family is left questioning whether the delayed lab tests may have impacted Nelson's treatment and outcome, highlighting the importance of timely and efficient medical processes in such critical situations.