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Hospital malpractice separates baby from family, for 18 months

When hospital malpractice in Ohio is mentioned, one often speculates a surgery went horribly wrong; such as, anesthesia mistakes or nursing errors contributing to an untimely and wrongful death. However, damage that hospital mistakes cause can sometimes be because of something the physicians ‘didn’t’ do. Sadly, those errors can have consequences well beyond the walls of a hospital, creating unfathomable stress and ruining lives. Often the lack of a diagnosis may cause further injury or complicate the situation of the patient — as well as the patient’s family.

A case from England illustrates the point that hospital malpractice isn’t only found in our own backyard in Ohio, but anywhere in the world.

A happily engaged couple had two children, ages two and six weeks. According to the children’s mother, the couple’s infant boy often fidgeted and was always restless in his crib at night. The mother took him to the hospital several times to check to see if something was wrong, and on each occasion she was assured everything was fine and her concerns were “over the top.” One morning she discovered the baby obviously in pain and his little legs were extremely swollen. She again took him to the emergency room.

Tests revealed his legs were fractured, and from there the story took a horrible turn — difficult for many to imagine. Two doctors and a nurse burst into the hospital room, telling the mother she was under suspicion for child abuse. They told her if she tried to leave the hospital, she would be arrested. Dumbfounded, she broke down and cried. Her fiancé, a government employee, tried the best he could to reassure her that it would all be okay. However, little did the couple know — life as they knew it would never be the same again.

Social workers soon swooped in and took command. They demanded the mother stop breastfeeding to prepare the baby for foster care. Thus began an 18-month journey, where neither child was allowed to return to their home. The pressure of the child abuse charges eventually caused the parents’ relationship to fail.

A year and a half later, it was discovered the baby had a rare bone disease, osteogenesis imperfecta which causes the body to not produce enough protein collagen and causes the bones to be fragile and susceptible to brakeage.

The child abuse charges were eventually dropped, without as much as an, “I’m sorry” from the social workers or the hospital staff. No x-rays were performed on the child in the intervening period. The medical staff had not even taken seriously the medical history the mother had previously supplied.

A case like this that involves tragic hospital errors could happen anywhere, even in Ohio. A family subjected to this type of nightmare would surely benefit from a consultation with a lawyer intent on holding negligent parties responsible for medical malpractice. No one should have to go through the horror and heartbreak this family had to endure.

Source: The Mail Online, “They branded us abusers, stole our children and killed our marriage: parents of boy with brittle bones attack social workers who claimed they beat him,” Helen Weathers, Aug. 29, 2011

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