PEOPLE gathered in front of the Guam Memorial Hospital last night to honor two lost loved ones and to set an example for those in the community who have unvoiced concerns about the hospital.

Bernard Crisostomo and Laura Kittel are still seeking answers to their loved ones’ deaths at GMH. The two individuals and their families held a candlelight vigil to commemorate their loved ones and to bring to light the doubts they have with GMH’s operations.

The vigil was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s principle of Satyagraya, which is based on truth and non-violence. Because candles with open flames were prohibited, the families used glow sticks, flashlights, and lanterns as substitute.

Crisostomo stated, “From this I’m hoping to start a ripple effect for people to speak up and voice their concerns and to help others. This is just what I feel I had to do.”

Crisostomo lost his father Joaquin SN Crisostomo last Oct. 21 after he entered the hospital to be treated for the flu. The elder Crisostomo passed away nine days after he was admitted and after suffering a head injury during his stay at the hospital, the cause of which has not yet been explained.

The body of Crisostomo's father has not yet been released, though he had requested for an autopsy. He had been informed that the autopsy would be completed last Tuesday.

“I’m not asking for anything from the government. All I’m asking is for them to tell me what really happened,” Crisostomo said. “They’re still avoiding the main issue: How did my father get that injury on his head? How can we go back and keep injuries from happening? All I’m asking is that if there is a mistake or problem at the hospital, they should just fix it.”

Kittel

Kittel’s mother, Karen Kittel, passed away last Sept. 25 after a series of surgeries at the hospital. The daughter is also questioning the care her mother received while admitted, stating that at one point her mother was given a meal containing fish, which her mother was allergic to.

Kittel is still pushing for an independent autopsy to be conducted on her mother.

Kittel made the following announcement during the ceremony: “I want to encourage and support your efforts to make the hospital run efficiently and comply with federal standards. My question is what can we do to help you to make sure this does not happen again? What do you need in order to do a better job? We ask you to do the right thing and answer the questions put before you and tell us what happened to our parents.”

The hospital administrator was not available for comment.