Posted on 01/21/2006 4:15:11 PM PST by Popman
ORLANDO, Fla. -- A Sanford mother says she will never be able to hold her newborn because an Orlando hospital performed a life-altering surgery and, she claims, the hospital refuses to explain why they left her as a multiple amputee.
The woman filed a complaint against Orlando Regional Healthcare Systems, she said, because they won't tell her exactly what happened. The hospital maintains the woman wants to know information that would violate other patients' rights.
Claudia Mejia gave birth eight and a half months ago at Orlando Regional South Seminole. She was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center in Orlando where her arms and legs were amputated. She was told she had streptococcus, a flesh eating bacteria, and toxic shock syndrome, but no further explanation was given.
The hospital, in a letter, wrote that if she wanted to find out exactly what happened, she would have to sue them.
"I want to know what happened. I went to deliver my baby and I came out like this," Mejia said.
Mejia said after she gave birth to Mathew last spring, she was kept in the hospital with complications. Twelve days after giving birth at Orlando Regional South Seminole hospital, she was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center where she became a quadruple amputee. Now she can not care for or hold her baby.
"Yeah, I want to pick him up. He wants me to pick him up. I can't. I want to, but I can't," she said. "Woke up from surgery and I had no arms and no legs. No one told me anything. My arms and legs were just gone."
Her 7-year-old son, Jorge, asks his mother over and over what happened to her. Neither she nor her husband has the answer.
"I love her, so I'll always stick with her and take it a day at a time myself," said her husband, Tim Edwards.
The couple wants to know how she caught streptococcus, during labor or after. She doesn't know. She knows she didn't leave the hospital the same.
"And why, I want to know why this happened," she said.
Her attorney, Judy Hyman wrote ORHS a letter saying, according to the Florida statute, "The Patients Right To Know About Adverse Medical Incidents Act," the hospital must give her the records.
"When the statute is named 'Patients Right To Know,' I don't know how it could be clearer," Hyman said.
Play the video on the link
My reaction was does she and her husband speak English? But even if they don't surely the hospitals would have translators.
The hospital's reaction looks a lot like CYA and they don't have anything to cover it with so they are trying to put it aff in the hope they can figure out something. That's LOOKS LIKE from the information in this item.
generally speaking, the rate of infections in most US hospitals is astonishingly high. as a general rule, get out of there as fast as you can after a procedure requiring a hospital stay - the post procedure chance of infection in the hospital can do alot more to harm you the underlying condition you went in for.
the former NYS lieutenant governor is on a crusade over this now:
http://www.wstm.com/Global/story.asp?S=3624522
http://www.hospitalinfection.org/
I suppose any wisecracks about her lawyer's last name would be tasteless, right?
a href=http://mfile.akamai.com/12939/wmv/vod.ibsys.com/2006/0119/6254221.300k.asx>Direct link to video.</a>
I am sure she knew she had an infection and would need surgery.
I believe her complaint is the hospital was negligent in letting her caught the infection in the first place.
You're bad. :}
Hospitals are full of strange Staph and Strep infections. The fact that this one doesnt want to give information tells me they have a bad record and a lot of other peoploe have become infected.
When the hospital told her she would have to sue to get information.I wouldnt have hesitated saying. " Dont worry about that sweetheart, Consider it done."
Looks like the only way this place will clean up their act is when it gets more expensive to pay the lawsuits than it is to clean the place.
If true....
I guess She'll OWN the Hospital Assets/Doctors' lifetime earnings...did the Medical staff, GO SAW-HAPPY?
The family has yet to sue for damages. They want to know if any other patients had contracted the same bacterial infection during that time. From what I have read, when she developed a rash the staff first blamed an allergy to sheets, then when she complained of severe stomach pain they told her that it was a normal thing after having a baby. She had to have a hysterectomy,too. If this woman can't get a straight answer who can?
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/nation/13681252.htm
I don't think we are getting the whole story here.
Dang...I goofed, again... ;-)
We seem to be missing a HUGE part of the story.
The hospital, in a letter, wrote that if she wanted to find out exactly what happened, she would have to sue them.
I'd bet my house that that letter did NOT say that.
She knows she didn't leave the hospital the same
What horrendous writing.
Dan
Ditto.
Son of a... This is unreal. Has anyone checked Snopes for this story?
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