Canadian woman Allison Holthoff dies in emergency room, husband says 'My children wouldn't have had to say goodbye to their mother, IF...' Allison Holthoff, a 37-year-old woman from Nova Scotia, Canada, died after a seven-hour wait in the emergency room. Family members blame complications and shortcomings in the country's health care system for the death. Canadian Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson said in a statement released Monday, "This is a tragic loss, and my heart goes out to them. I understand they want answers. I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family of the patient who died at Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre."