'A total disregard for human life': Family of Baltimore woman left in cold by hospital speaks out

BALTIMORE - The family of a Maryland woman who was left in the freezing cold outside of a Baltimore hospital in a hospital gown and socks says they want changes to be made to make sure it never happens again.

The incident was captured on cellphone video that eventually went viral, and the hospital has since apologized.

The family of the 22-year-old woman, who has been identified as Rebecca, along with their attorney held a news conference Thursday describing what it felt like to watch her in the video.

"When my mother had sent me the video of Rebecca, I automatically feel like I felt her as her sister because it was too late to do anything for her," said Rebecca's twin sister in tears. "She needed our help, but there was nothing we could do to help her."

We are told the Rebecca suffers from bipolar disorder and Asperger syndrome.

The man who recorded the video, Dr. Imanu Baraka, came to the aid of Rebecca as she was released last week from the University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown campus. She was seen on the video left at a bus stop in the freezing cold outside of the hospital. If it wasn't for Baraka pleading with security guards to not leave her out in the freezing elements, the community believes Rebecca would have been in even more danger.

"She experienced inhumane treatment," said Rev. C.D. Witherspoon. "It was a miscarriage of justice and a violation of public trust … The hospital not just let Rebecca down, not just her family down, but the entire city and state down in relationship to the treatment and care that she received."

Witherspoon also referred to this incident as "a total disregard for human life."

The family at one point reported Rebecca missing and said if it were not for the video, they would have never known her whereabouts.

The Maryland Department of Health said it is launching its own investigation into the incident.