Content Warning: This article contains references to infant mortality and death
When the main location for a drama series is a hospital, it can be expected that someone will eventually die. This has definitely been the case with Grey’s Anatomy, where many individuals have sadly passed away.
Whether it is through accidents or disasters, there have been several on-screen deaths involving both doctors and patients, and some of the most tragic losses happened during season 2. While the main cast of doctors survived up to this point and lived on to season 3, there were several patients that left fans heartbroken with their passing.
Robert Martin
A businessman who entered the hospital with a head injury, Robert Martin’s CT scan showed that he had a cyst that affected his necessary sodium levels. Alex was one of the doctors treating him and ordered a saline solution as treatment, but made a mistake and ordered too much. This resulted in Robert having a seizure and falling into a coma, which he sadly never woke up from. This gave audiences a first glimpse at Alex’s more sensitive side as he felt remorse for his mistake.
Yvonne
The character Yvonne was not admitted as a patient; she was accompanying a friend with a head injury after they were involved in a train crash. While her friend was being treated, Yvonne seemed fine as she talked on the phone. However, once it seemed like everything was all right, Yvonne herself was found unconscious and she ended up dying of slow internal bleeding. What made Yvonne’s death particularly sad is that help was so close and yet she never got it.
Grace Bickham
An elderly patient with COPD at Seattle Grace, Grace Bickham was spending her last days in hospice and had signed a DNR to ensure her passing. Unfortunately, due to an ongoing nurses' strike, Meredith was unaware of the DNR and intubated Grace.
While working to correct this mistake, viewers learned more about this patient from her friends. When Grace finally did pass away, she was surrounded by her loved ones. This scene was emotionally impactful for both the audience and Meredith, as she worried about her own mother's physical condition.
Holden McKee
The death of Holden McKee was especially devastating because it happened after another unfortunate incident. A firefighter by occupation, Holden was hit in the head by falling debris and remained in a non-responsive state for 16 years. After an accident at his nursing home, he finally woke up while being treated at Seattle Grace. By this time, his wife had remarried and his toddler son had grown into a teenager. Sadly, while his son was sitting in the waiting room, Holden ended up dying while Derek was operating on his brain injury.
Emily Russell
Emily Russell was part of a set of quintuplets that were born prematurely. Before they were born, it was determined that several of the quintuplets had prenatal complications that would require surgery once they were delivered; Emily herself had a heart condition. While the rest of her sisters survived their procedures, Emily sadly died. The underdevelopment of her heart was too drastic and the doctors couldn’t save her. Many fans were heartbroken once Addison revealed the news to Izzie.
Jeremiah Tate
The loss of Jeremiah Tate was particularly tragic because he had a close relationship with fan-favorite Miranda Bailey. Jeremiah was born with Cystic Fibrosis and first met Bailey during the time when she was an intern.
He returned to the hospital when he was older after having several seizures. It was revealed that he needed abdominal surgery and he, unfortunately, died on the operating table. Seeing Bailey desperately trying to resuscitate the patient she connected with was gutwrenching for fans to watch.
Bonnie Crasnoff
A lot of fans remember the fate of Bonnie Crasnoff as it was part of a must-see episode involving a train crash. Bonnie found herself impaled on a pole with a man named Tom. After assessing both patients, the doctors determined that Tom was more likely to survive than Bonnie was once the pole was removed. Despite Meredith’s efforts, Bonnie bled out in surgery. She ended up having a great impact on Meredith, especially in respect to her relationship with Derek at that time.
Dylan Young
Dylan Young was not a patient, but the head of the bomb squad who arrived to deal with an unexploded device at the hospital. The device was embedded in a patient, and Meredith ended up having her hand inside in order to prevent the bomb from exploding. While Dylan was able to help her remove it, the bomb exploded as he was leaving the hospital and killed him. Viewers were shocked to see a character get everyone through such a tense situation only to die so suddenly.
Doc
Doc was not a human, but Meredith and Derek’s beloved dog. He is remembered for being a terror towards George and Izzie. He also acted as a catalyst for Meredith to meet a new love interest, veterinarian Finn Dandridge. Unfortunately, Doc ended up developing bone cancer and had to be put down; a heartbroken Meredith stayed with him until he passed on. There were instances in subsequent episodes where it was evident that she hadn’t forgotten him. For pet owners and animal lovers, this loss hit very close to home.
Denny Duquette
If there was ever a patient whose loss broke the hearts of every Grey’s Anatomy fan, it was Denny Duquette. He was a patient at Seattle Grace in need of a heart transplant. While waiting for a donor, he met and fell in love with Izzie. She was able to get a new heart for Denny, albeit through highly unethical means; however, he had a stroke after the surgery and died, leaving Izzie and the audience devastated. His departure was felt for several seasons afterward.