On August 21, 2025, a shocking incident unfolded at the Hanger Clinic in Buckhead, just outside Atlanta, Georgia, leaving a wheelchair-bound woman, Ankita Mackin, stranded on an examination table for hours after the clinic staff closed the facility for the day. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis four years ago, Mackin relies on a wheelchair for mobility and requires stretcher transportation for medical appointments. What was meant to be a routine visit to get fitted for foot braces turned into a traumatic ordeal, raising serious questions about patient care protocols, accessibility, and accountability in medical facilities.
A Traumatic Ordeal: Left Alone and Locked In
Ankita Mackin arrived at the Hanger Clinic on Peachtree Park Drive around 2 p.m. for a scheduled appointment to have her feet fitted for braces to help manage the effects of her multiple sclerosis. According to Mackin, her transportation service dropped her off at the clinic’s entrance, and she assumed the staff would coordinate her ride home after the appointment, as is often standard practice for patients with mobility challenges.
However, after her appointment concluded, Ankita Mackin was left on an examination table in an exam room with the door wide open, allowing her to observe staff members passing by without checking on her. As the hours ticked by, Mackin fell asleep, only to wake up close to the clinic’s 4 p.m. closing time. Realizing the facility was growing quiet, she began calling out for help, shouting, “Hello, hello, nurse, doctor, is anyone in there?” Despite her efforts, no one responded.
Panic set in as she realized she was alone in the building, with her phone battery dead and no immediate way to contact anyone. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, I know. Lord knows I hope they didn’t lock me in this building,’” Mackin recounted. Tragically, that’s exactly what had happened—the staff had packed up, locked the doors, and left for the day, forgetting she was still inside.
Unable to move independently due to her condition, Mackin faced a harrowing decision. Stranded on a high examination table, she had no choice but to roll off to reach the floor, a maneuver that resulted in her hitting her head and injuring her back, causing immense pain in her legs. She then crawled across the floor to a wall outlet to charge her phone, a grueling effort given her mobility limitations.
Once her phone had enough power, Mackin called 911 multiple times but struggled to get through to an operator. In desperation, she used FaceTime to contact her daughters, explaining her dire situation. Her daughter, Yahkia Mackin, was stunned to learn her mother had been left behind. “Like who locks up the building? No one walks around to check each room?” Yahkia questioned, echoing the disbelief felt by the family.
🚨🇺🇸 DISABLED WOMAN LOCKED IN AND FORGOTTEN IN A CLINIC
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 24, 2025
Ankita Mackin, who has MS and uses a wheelchair, says staff at a Buckhead, Georgia clinic closed up shop and left her on the exam table.
Her phone was dead. No food. No water. No bathroom. Just her and a slowly emptying… https://t.co/ZgUfCjvsXA pic.twitter.com/0SJ4gcLpZ9
By around 7 p.m., Mackin finally reached a 911 dispatcher who stayed on the line with her. Yahkia drove to the clinic, arriving around 8:30 p.m., but found no first responders on the scene yet. It wasn’t until after 9 p.m. that Atlanta Police, Atlanta Fire, and Grady EMS arrived.
The responders were shocked to find Mackin on the floor near a wall outlet, having endured hours without food, water, or access to a bathroom. “They were like, ‘Oh my God, I’m sorry this happened to you,’” Mackin said of the firefighters who forced their way into the locked building. She was taken to Grady Hospital, where she was evaluated and released the following day, on August 22, 2025.
Hanger Clinic’s Response and Questions of Accountability
The incident has sparked outrage from Ankita Mackin’s family, who are demanding answers from Hanger Clinic about how such a grave oversight could occur. The clinic, a provider of prosthetic and orthotic care, issued a brief statement through its external communications manager: “Local emergency services personnel responded to our clinic on August 21st, but given HIPAA privacy laws, I cannot provide any additional information.” This response has done little to quell the family’s concerns or address the apparent lapse in protocol that allowed a vulnerable patient to be overlooked.
Mackin’s daughter, Aquadia Mackin, emphasized the need for accountability, stating, “I would want someone to answer to you know why this happened.” The family’s frustration is compounded by the fact that the exam room door was open the entire time, meaning staff members passed by without checking on Ankita Mackin.
This raises critical questions about the clinic’s end-of-day procedures. Do they not conduct room checks before locking up? Are there no protocols to ensure all patients have safely left the premises? The lack of clarity from Hanger Clinic has fueled speculation about systemic negligence, with some online commentators suggesting the entire staff should be held accountable and urging Mackin to pursue legal action.
The ordeal was not only physically painful but also deeply humiliating for Ankita Mackin. She described the experience as “traumatizing and embarrassing,” particularly because she was left without basic necessities like food, water, or a bathroom for over seven hours. For a person with multiple sclerosis, such conditions can exacerbate health challenges, making the incident even more concerning. The family’s call for accountability reflects a broader demand for improved patient safety measures, particularly for those with disabilities who rely on medical facilities to provide accessible and attentive care.
Accessibility Failures and the Broader Implications
This incident shines a spotlight on the broader issue of accessibility in medical facilities, particularly for patients with mobility disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates that examination rooms be equipped with features to accommodate wheelchair users, including adequate clear floor space for transfers and accessible equipment like adjustable-height exam tables. However, Mackin’s experience suggests a failure not only in physical accessibility but also in staff training and patient care protocols.
Accessible examination rooms require sufficient space for wheelchair users to maneuver and transfer onto tables, ideally with clear floor space of at least 30 inches by 48 inches on at least one side of the table. Additionally, rooms should have enough turning space—either a 60-inch diameter circle or a T-shaped space—for a wheelchair to navigate. In Mackin’s case, being left on a high exam table without assistance highlights a critical gap in ensuring safe transfers. The fact that she had to roll off the table, risking serious injury, underscores the need for adjustable-height tables and staff trained to assist patients with mobility challenges.
Moreover, the incident points to a lack of robust protocols to ensure patient safety at closing time. Medical facilities must have clear procedures to verify that all patients have been accounted for before locking up. The open door to Mackin’s exam room suggests that staff were not actively monitoring patient presence, a failure that could have been mitigated by simple measures like a final room sweep or a checklist system. For patients with disabilities, who may have limited ability to advocate for themselves in such situations, these protocols are not just best practices—they are essential for safety.
The broader implications of this incident extend to the trust patients place in healthcare providers. For individuals with disabilities, medical appointments often require significant planning and reliance on others for transportation and assistance. Mackin’s assumption that the clinic would arrange her ride home was reasonable, yet the staff’s failure to follow through left her vulnerable. This breach of trust can have lasting effects, as Mackin herself noted feeling unsafe in a place meant to provide care. For others with similar experiences, such incidents may deter them from seeking necessary medical treatment, exacerbating health disparities.
The public reaction to Mackin’s story has been one of outrage and empathy, with many calling for systemic changes. Online discussions have emphasized the need for better training for healthcare staff on the needs of patients with disabilities and stricter oversight of closing procedures. Some have suggested that Hanger Clinic’s response, citing HIPAA restrictions, avoids addressing the core issue of negligence. While HIPAA protects patient privacy, it should not be a shield to deflect accountability for systemic failures.
Ankita Mackin’s ordeal at Hanger Clinic is a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by individuals with disabilities in healthcare settings. Her courage in sharing her story has sparked a necessary conversation about patient safety, accessibility, and accountability. While Mackin was fortunate to avoid life-threatening injuries, the physical and emotional toll of the incident cannot be understated. Her family’s demand for answers is a call for justice—not only for Mackin but for all patients who rely on medical facilities to uphold their dignity and safety.
As of now, it remains unclear whether Ankita Mackin will pursue legal action against Hanger Clinic, but the incident has already prompted calls for reform. Medical facilities must prioritize accessibility, from equipment design to staff training, to ensure that patients with disabilities are not left in vulnerable situations. Simple measures, like mandatory room checks and clear communication about transportation arrangements, could prevent similar incidents in the future. For Mackin and others, the hope is that this traumatic experience will lead to meaningful changes, ensuring that no patient is ever forgotten again.