Beloved doctor dies after falling down stairs while getting up to use bathroom in his sleep

STANFORD, Ky. (WKYT/Gray News) - A beloved doctor in Kentucky is being remembered after he tragically lost his life following an accident at home.

Dr. James Turpin, 53, an emergency room doctor at Ephraim McDowell Fort Logan Hospital in Stanford, died Wednesday, days after falling on Sunday morning.

According to Dr. Eric Guerrant, a friend and colleague of Turpin, the emergency room doctor fell down a flight of basement stairs after getting up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.

Turpin suffered serious injuries and was taken to UK Hospital for treatment before succumbing to his injuries on Wednesday.

Turpin also oversaw medical services with emergency medical services in Lincoln and Casey counties.

In 2017, he was named the EMS medical director of the year for the eastern district of Kentucky.

Turpin was said to have an incredible work ethic, working his way up through medical practice from a licensed practical nurse to a registered nurse and then through medical school.

Friends noted Turpin had a way of making hard times much better.

“He made these little bracelets that said, ‘Here to help.’ That was James, and we all wore the bracelets, and that changed the whole demeanor of the practice during a tough time,” Guerrant said. “He had that attitude. He was here to help.”