A Georgia woman has filed a lawsuit against the Southern Regional Medical Center and her doctor after her baby boy was decapitated during delivery.
Jessica Ross, 20, claims that while she was in labor on July 9, the baby’s shoulders became stuck inside the vaginal canal. Instead of performing an emergency c-section, the doctor allegedly applied “ridiculously excessive force” on the baby’s head and neck to try and remove it.
A c-section was not performed for three hours, and by then, there was no heartbeat — and no head.
“The feet came out, the body came out and there was no head,” attorney Roderick Edmond, who is also a physician, said during a press conference, according to a report from 11 Alive.
The lawsuit claims that the parents were not immediately notified of the baby’s death and only allowed them to view his body from a distance as his head was “propped on top of his body in a manner such that those viewing him could not identify that he had been decapitated.”
“They were so excited about the birth of their first child,” said attorney Cory Lynch, who is representing Ross and her boyfriend Treveon Isaiah Taylor Sr., according to a report from the Associated Press. “Unfortunately, their dreams and hopes turned into a nightmare that was covered up by Southern Regional Medical Center.”
The hospital originally claimed they could not discuss treatment for particular patients due to privacy laws.
“Our commitment is to provide compassionate, quality care to every single patient, and this loss is heartbreaking,” the hospital said. It later added that St. Julian was not an employee of the hospital, and it had “taken the appropriate steps in response to this unfortunate situation.”
However, in a subsequent statement, the hospital confirmed that the baby was decapitated — but claimed that he had died before that happened.
“As our deepest sympathies remain with the family, Southern Regional Medical Center denies the allegations of wrongdoing in the Complaint referencing the hospital,” the latest statement says. “Due to patient privacy laws and HIPAA, we are unable to discuss the care and treatment of specific patients, but we can state this unfortunate infant death occurred in utero prior to the delivery and decapitation. The hospital voluntarily reported the death to the Clayton County Medical Examiner’s office and is cooperating with all investigations. Since this matter is in litigation, we cannot provide additional statements.”
