Rebecca De Paula took time off from work in New York and headed down to Santo Domingo about a week ago. She was planning to get a simple elective surgery done and come back home to her family. Instead, a sudden turn of health turned her trip into a complete nightmare.
The 31-year-old police officer had traveled to the Dominican Republic to get her breast implants removed. Things seemed routine at first, but post-surgery complications set in quickly. Relatives say she picked up a severe bacterial infection right after the operation.
Her condition got worse by the day, despite medical attention. By Sunday, De Paula passed away far from home, leaving her family back in New York in shock and deep grief.
Back home, De Paula was a rising police officer with the New York Police Department. She worked out of the 46th Precinct in the Bronx, putting in long hours on the beat for about 18 months.
She had already made a big mark on her squad in that short time. Just back in March, her supervisors named her officer of the month for her hard work and solid street presence.
Off the job, her world revolved around her family. She leaves behind her husband and three young children, who are now trying to make sense of losing her so fast.
Her fellow officers are mourning the loss alongside her family. The New York Dominican Officers Organization shared their grief online, remembering her as a kind person whose service to the city will not be forgotten.
Right now, her body remains at the National Institute of Forensic Sciences in the Dominican Republic for further testing. Officials are holding her remains there while her family pushes hard for a complete investigation, suspecting medical malpractice at the clinic. Once foreign medical examiners finish their work, her body will be brought back home to the United States for burial.
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