Agy Peña’s story on Lenox Hill: Netflix viewers pay tribute to NYPD Lieutenant

Lenox Hill – AKA Netflix’s real-life Gray’s Anatomy – is the latest docuseries sweeping up all of our attention. It follows the hectic lives of doctors at the Upper East Side’s Lenox Hill Hospital.

From births to deaths and everything else in between, viewers get a front row seat to all of the happenings of a busy New York hospital. We are introduced to patients and family members as we hear the stories of those admitted to Lenox Hill. As you can imagine, there are plenty of tearjerking scenes, as hospitals are a hotbed of life and death moments. But it is episode 6 (‘Night of the Dead’) which really broke viewers’ hearts.

The episode details the story of clinical trial patient, Agy Peña. Ever since the episode, many have wanted to know more about the former police officer’s life. Find out about Agy and her time at Lenox Hill here.

The following piece has details from Lenox Hill episode 6.

Who was Agy Peña?

Agy Peña was a former Lieutenant with the New York Police Department (NYPD)’s 48th precinct in the Bronx. She had worked with the police department since 2004.

In October 2012, Agy went to the doctor to deal with symptoms such as headaches and dizziness. These turned out to be symptoms of a brain tumour that was growing on her left brain. Agy was diagnosed with anaplastic astrocytoma, a Stage 3 brain cancer.

Agy’s team at the NYPD rallied around her to raise $30,000 for her medical bill. She underwent surgery at the North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital just two days after her diagnosis. Agy was accompanied by her mother and then-boyfriend to the surgery. They removed 95% of the tumour in her brain and also laid out a treatment plan of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Speaking to the New York Post about her surgery, Agy revealed that she lost the ability to speak for the two weeks following. She finally completed speech therapy in May 2013.

SEE ALSO: Get to know Lenox Hill’s Dr. David Langer and his family

Agy 😢 #LenoxHill

— Lou 🕸 (@louroll89ffs) June 13, 2020

Agy on Netflix’s Lenox Hill

Agy Peña had not had her initial surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital, but was undergoing a clinical trial there.

In episode 6, Dr. John Boockvar struggled with the job of telling Agy that the results from her MRI were not good. He could not tell if the MRI was showing inflammation or if the brain tumour had got worse. It was, unfortunately, the latter. The remaining 5% of the tumours had grown back and spread following her 2012 surgery.

At the end of the episode, production added some notes explaining that Agy had passed away after her battle with cancer. She was 37 years old.

Agy passed away in November 2018. This must have been the time that Netflix filmed Lenox Hill.

MEET THE CAST: Updates on Lenox Hill’s doctor Mitchell Levine

Tributes to Agy Peña

At the end of Lenox Hill episode 6, it read:

Agy passed away after her courageous battle with cancer… this episode is dedicated to NYPD Lieutenant Agy Peña and Jack Leitenberg.

Since Agy’s passing, many have also gone online to post tributes to the former police officer. Read the NYPD’s tribute to Agy below.

Heaven has gained another angel. Words can’t express how saddened we are at the loss of Lieutenant Agy Pena. No matter what she was going through she always had a beautiful smile on her face. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends, and fellow officers. https://t.co/jfHsDcWfZT

— NYPD 48th Precinct (@NYPD48Pct) November 4, 2018