Most parents fear how vulnerable their newborn is or how many illnesses that newborn might contract. Those illnesses are normally limited to colds and flus, nothing more serious. However, for one California couple, their worst fears were realized when it was determined that their newborn son had a serious disease. This unfortunate event ultimately resulted in heartache and the parents filing a lawsuit, alleging that their baby son’s death was caused by hospital negligence.
??Doctors discovered that the couple’s seven-month-old son had a genetic immunodeficiency disorder. Doctors deemed a bone marrow transplant necessary. The transplant had been scheduled with the couple’s two-year-old daughter, but complications led doctors to schedule chemotherapy, which weakened his already fragile immune system.
Everything was reportedly on the mend with the infant when he died from what was later confirmed to be Legionnaires’ disease, a kind of bacteria that is found in water pipes. The baby had been in the hospital for three weeks at the time of his death, and the time of exposure to the time of displaying symptoms ranges from a couple of days to two weeks. The parents have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the hospital, claiming that the hospital had knowledge that the water system was infected with the bacteria.
There are several options available to California parents who feel their baby’s well-being has been jeopardized by hospital negligence. While a monetary award can never fully compensate for not having a healthy and happy child, it can help ease pain and suffering to some small degree. A parent who feels their child’s health has been compromised in a similar way may wish to pursue options that are available to them.
Source: The Press Democrat, Lake County couple suing over son’s death at UCSF hospital, Glenda Anderson, Nov. 12, 2013
