The parents of a premature baby are suing a Florida hospital, alleging in the complaint that their newborn suffered a fatal spinal cord injury at the hands of a worker.
In June 2022, Gianna Lopera and Jahmiah Peets welcomed their daughter, Jahxy Peets, at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies. The child was delivered by emergency caesarean section at 24 weeks’ gestation and was immediately intubated and admitted to the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
At the time, “there was no evidence of any trauma associated with the birth,” according to the complaint filed by the parents on Oct. 17.
However, about two weeks later, an MRI showed that Jahxy’s neck was broken. She allegedly suffered a debilitating spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed and unable to breathe on her own, court documents state.
“This type of spinal cord injury could not have occurred without the use of excessive force when handling a newborn,” the complaint states. “There is no note in the medical record documenting the excessive force event that caused this traumatic injury, nor any indication in the medical record that an investigation was conducted to identify and bring to justice the person who caused this devastating injury.”
Stock image of an incubator crib.
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“Furthermore, there is no evidence that police were notified that a person with access to the Orlando Health NICU had broken Jahxy’s neck.”
Court documents also claim that after Jahxy’s injury, a hospital worker “put her back in the incubator without notifying anyone.”
Jahxy allegedly died a few months later, in November 2022, from a traumatic injury, according to the complaint.
Because her broken neck was “either unrecognized or unreported,” the complaint says it appears “an attempt was made to conceal the cause of Jahxy’s injury.”
A spokesperson for the hospital told PEOPLE in a statement that it “will not speak publicly about specific medical cases, but will say that caring for extremely premature babies is a complex and emotional job for parents, doctors and nurses.”
“We extend our deepest sympathies to this family and any family who suffers the loss of a child, but we also believe that those providing care in this setting should be judged on facts, not speculation,” the statement continued. “We look forward to discussing the facts of this case in the appropriate forum.”
Mom sues hospital after accidentally suffocating her ‘miracle’ baby, speaks out: It could have been ‘prevented’
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Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies.
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During an Oct. 21 press conference, Peets spoke about the short time he spent with his daughter, calling her a “fighter.” Lopera also emphasized that she and Peets “deserve answers” and “want justice for Jahxy.”
“We are heartbroken because we couldn’t protect ourselves from Winnie Palmer Hospital. The place where she should have been the safest,” she said through tears. “Every parent whose child was born in Winnie Palmer deserves to know what happened to Jahxy. By covering it up, they are leaving room for it to happen again,” she added.
“I never had the chance to hear my daughter cry,” Lopera continued. “She never had a chance to meet her siblings or her family. We never celebrated a single milestone. We only held her four times in her entire life.”
The parents are now seeking damages and seeking a jury trial.
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Source: HIS Education