'Justice for Destiny' Memorial Walk Honors Mi'kmaw Woman Who Died of Fungal Meningitis
A memorial walk was held at Sipekne'katik First Nation to honor Destiny Rennie, a 22-year-old Mi'kmaw woman who died of fungal meningitis in 2023. Her family has filed a lawsuit against the Nova Scotia Health Authority and four doctors, alleging negligent care influenced by racial bias.
People gathered at Sipekne'katik First Nation on Sunday for a memorial walk titled "Justice for Destiny" to honor Destiny Rennie, a 22-year-old Mi'kmaw woman who died of fungal meningitis in 2023. 
Rennie visited Soldiers Memorial Hospital in Middleton, N.S., on July 27, 2023, presenting with head pain, light sensitivity, and facial swelling. She was given antibiotics. Between July 28 and July 31, her condition worsened, leading to her admission at Valley Regional Hospital in Kentville, N.S., on July 31.
According to the statement of claim in a 2024 lawsuit, meningitis was suspected on Aug. 2, 2023, but antifungal medication was delayed by eight and a half hours and an airlift to Halifax was not immediate. Rennie experienced brain death between 10 p.m. and midnight that same day. Tests confirmed cryptococcus fungal meningitis the morning after her brain death. She was airlifted to QEII Hospital in Halifax, where she was declared dead on the evening of Aug. 6, 2023.
Rennie's family alleges that hospital staff and doctors did not properly monitor her symptoms and were slow to act as her health deteriorated. The family claims Rennie was mistreated by doctors who assumed she was an illicit drug user, although a blood test found no illegal drugs in her system. Rennie's mother, Dana Rennie, stated that medical staff failed to inform her of the severity of her daughter's illness and denied them access to the ICU. 
In 2024, Rennie's family filed a lawsuit against the Nova Scotia Health Authority and four doctors, alleging race played a role in the negligent medical treatment. PATH Legal is representing the family. The firm is also setting up meetings to explore a customary law framework for the Mi'kmaq people, though this effort will not affect the current litigation.