Posted on 06/09/2011 1:40:00 PM PDT by momfirst
Hello fellow Freepers. I am looking to you for some direction and advice on where to turn on behalf of my closest friend in the world. A very horrific incident happened this week to her daughter, who was expecting her first child. Unfortunately, she misscarried the baby at 13 weeks gestation. If the devastation of that was not enough, it happened in the hospital while she was on the toilet. The nurse instructed them to leave it there and she would go get a pathology box. Very shortly thereafter, another hospital staff member came into the room, donned gloves, and went into the shared bathroom (shared between two patient rooms), shut the door, and, to everyone's horror, flushed the toilet, baby and all. My friend and her family are just beside themselves in grief over not only the lost child, but the way it was handled compounds it a thousand-fold.
The hospital apologized and said they would start an investigation, but that was it. My friend really wants to know what the hospital is doing to make sure this never ever happens to another family, but will not get any replies from the hospital, just get's the standard run-around. They don't want to sue, they just want action. We think the least the hospital could do is to follow-up and reply to their requests - and I persionally think they should offer counseling services to their daughter. The poor thing can't go to the bathroom without bursting into tears.
Does anyone have any advice or direction to resources that might help advocate for this family? We can't find any organization to help since there was no physical harm done to any person. (after all, society doesn't consider a 13 week fetus a person)
And please, any prayers would be greatly appreciated for this young woman and her family.
Thank you!
This isn't about you or about how you would handle it.
I feel horrible for this young family and what they are going through right now. They will be in my prayers.
Disposal of “pathological waste” is generally regulated by federal, state and local ordinances.
This would include disposal of blood, tissue, fetus, body limbs, veterbrate animals, etc.
Generally speaking they are strictly separated from other wastes and disposed of as “Pathological wastes” sometimes grouped with infectious wastes and nearly always incinerated prior to being disposed of at a landfill.
Fetus may be disposed of in particular, generally by incineration first, then proper disposal at burial or landfill or custody to a relative (an urn etc).
Sanitary Sewer systems are not equipped nor designed to properly treat pathological or infectious waste. Such waste entering the sewage treatment plant can also place the sewage treatment personnel at undue health risk.
If the hospital refuses to consider the situation or change their policies, it might be in the best interest of the public to close down the facility from being able to discharge any sanitary sewage from the facility. A hospice gets miserable very quickly without running water or restrooms.
Well, it wasn't until a previous poster asked me to
Try to imagine folks who are joyous at the prospect of a child being born. Imagine how they have already begun to plan for their future with the child. Imagine them sharing their excitement and anticipation with others. Imagine others joining in their joy.
Try to imagine that all going horribly wrong. The new life taken by death. Try to imagine the sorrow and suffering.
How many miscarried fetuses do you suppose end up in the sewer system every day, most at home, some possibly unbeknownst to the woman due to very early gestation? Should we cut off sewer access to women that miscarry at home and decide not to go fishing in the toilet? Sanitation wise, is it really so different from menstrual fluid? Is the moment of conception not only when life begins, but when an egg becomes "pathological" and some sort of threat?
If the hospital refuses to consider the situation or change their policies, it might be in the best interest of the public to close down the facility from being able to discharge any sanitary sewage from the facility.
Yes. Because a hospital employee, in a moment of uncertainty, didn't do exactly the right thing, let's get more government involved. Then, next time a fetus is floating in the toilet, the hospital will understand that healing and saving lives comes after the condition of the sewer in importance.
My husband and I just lost our baby at 14 weeks and the hospital will not release his body to us we want to have him cremated for closer and we keep getting the run around finally today spoke with the main hospital supervisor she is suppose to call us tomorrow. They just role him away after he was delivered we didn’t even get to say good bye We are heart broken how they handled it
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.