A woman arrived at Mount Sinai West’s emergency room in April exhibiting stroke symptoms. She was just one of thousands of people who are brought to New York hospitals without any identification. Two days later, her identity became clear once a family lawyer showed up at the hospital after he had been alerted by the woman’s building manager of her location. She was Baroness Birgit Thyssen-Bornemisza, a member of one of Europe’s wealthiest families.
While her identity was confirmed, mystery still surrounded the Baroness in Room 23. There was no Social Security number, no insurance, no immediate relatives, no bank account and no friends that the lawyer was aware of. She remained in the hospital bed on a feeding tube for months while her hospital bill continued to rise, taking up an acute care bed she did not need. The hospital eventually petitioned to have her placed into a guardianship.
The family had Nazi ties, which they often denied, and eventually left Germany for Monte Carlo after the war. The family eventually settled in New York, living at the Plaza hotel and became known in the society columns. However, after three years they abruptly disappeared from the social scene.
It is believed her father sought to distance himself from his family, however, he relied on his brother for financial support which was paid through a family foundation. Once her father died, Birgit and her mother became increasingly close, known to take long walks in matching outfits from Bergdorf’s and Saks. They went everywhere together.
For the two decades following her mother’s death, Birgit has lived a solitary life. This has further complicating her discharge from the hospital, although her longtime housekeeper and caregiver continues to fight for Birgit to regain some of her independence.
For more information see George Rush and John Leland “The Mysterious Patient in Room 23: The Hermit Baroness”, The New York Times, October 20, 2022.
Special thanks to Lewis Saret (Attorney, Washington, D.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.
https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/trusts_estates_prof/2022/11/the-mysterious-patient-in-room-23-the-hermit-baroness.html