Ted Poe: “At the young age of 23, Nick Castle knew he had a higher calling. So directly following his graduation, he headed…”

“At the young age of 23, Nick Castle knew he had a higher calling. So directly following his graduation, he headed overseas to China to teach English, volunteering in the Peace Corps. Sadly, Nick became seriously ill after becoming an ambassador abroad. He was the victim of an inefficient, underequipped, and unresponsive Peace Corps-led medical team in China. After he reported that he was ill, he was prescribed a broad antibiotic. Nick quickly began to experience drastic weight loss, but he was reassured he was okay. As the weeks progressed, he was confined to his bed, too ill to even stand up. But his doctor never recommended that he go to the hospital. After experiencing dangerously low blood pressure, Nick was finally sent to a hospital. As the ambulance made its way to him, it got lost on the winding roads in the remote area of China. Before the ambulance could get Nick to the hospital, he stopped breathing. Nick died a few weeks later in early 2013. A 2014 Peace Corps Inspector General report found that Nick was the victim of medical negligence. ``Failures and delays in treatment'' were exposed, ultimately leading to Nick's death. Investigations revealed that the Peace Corps medical team misdiagnosed his illness. This heartbreaking death of a young man serving our country and the world could have been avoided had the Peace Corps staff been properly trained, equipped, and had a responsive team.…”