‘They Made Me Get Out of Bed’: Black New York Woman Says Hospital Profiled Her During Sickle Cell Crisis
NEW YORK — A Black woman experiencing a sickle cell crisis at a New York hospital says she was racially profiled and harassed by staff who accused her of wrongdoing while she was in extreme pain. The disturbing incident has gone viral after the patient shared a TikTok video detailing how security officers searched her belongings and forced her out of bed during treatment.
Accused Without Evidence
The patient, known on TikTok as @msvaliyahb, shared that she was admitted to a New York hospital while suffering from a sickle cell crisis — a painful and potentially life-threatening condition that affects blood flow. Despite being under medical care, she says a nurse claimed to “smell something” in her room and called security to investigate.
Two hospital security guards reportedly entered the room and began searching her personal items, looking under the bed, inside drawers, and even in the bathroom. According to her account, she was ordered to get out of her hospital bed while the search took place — a physically painful request given her condition.
@msvaliyahb Being racially profiled while having a sickle cell crisis. #sicklecellawareness #sicklecell
A Disturbing Violation
The patient said she believed she was being racially profiled, as no other explanation was given for the search. “They made me stand up and move while I was in crisis,” she said, describing how the security team moved her belongings and inspected every corner of the room.
Viewers were shocked by the video, pointing out that removing a patient during a sickle cell crisis can worsen pain and risk complications. “It’s cruel,” one user commented. “Imagine being in severe pain and being treated like a suspect.”
Online Outrage and Calls for Legal Action
The video quickly spread across TikTok and Reddit, where users urged the woman to take action. “File a grievance and get a lawyer,” one person advised. Another comment that gained traction read, “Love the smell of a lawsuit in the morning, y’all.”
Others expressed outrage at the hospital’s handling of the situation, saying the staff violated basic medical ethics and patient rights. “Even if they suspected something, there was no reason to make her leave the bed,” one user wrote. “That’s harassment.”
Community and Legal Implications
Advocates say incidents like this reflect a larger pattern of bias in healthcare, particularly toward Black patients. Studies have shown that Black Americans are often disbelieved or mistreated when reporting pain, especially in emergency and chronic illness settings. Sickle cell patients, in particular, have reported being accused of drug-seeking or faking symptoms.
Legal experts commenting online say the patient could pursue a discrimination or negligence claim if she can prove racial profiling or emotional distress. “Whether this was bias or incompetence, the hospital’s actions caused harm,” one commenter said. “They forced a sick patient to suffer for no reason.”
Hospital Accountability
As of now, the hospital involved has not been publicly identified or issued a statement. Online users have encouraged the patient to file a formal complaint with hospital administration and the New York Department of Health to ensure accountability.
“This was a sick woman in pain who deserved compassion, not suspicion,” one TikTok user wrote. “It’s humiliating and dangerous to treat anyone like that — especially during a medical emergency.”
The woman’s video continues to circulate widely as calls for transparency and justice grow. Many believe her story underscores how racial profiling in healthcare remains a systemic problem that too often goes unpunished.
Would you pursue legal action if you were in her position? Join the discussion at FatCityFeed.com.
