Hospital Allegedly Covered Up NICU Patient’s Broken Neck and Death, Lawsuit Claims
A recent lawsuit has brought attention to a devastating incident at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, where the parents of a premature infant allege that their child suffered a fatal injury while in the neonatal intensive care unit, according to ABC News.
In June 2022, Gianna Lopera and Jamiah Peets welcomed their daughter, Jahxy Peets, into the world. Born prematurely at 24 weeks, Jahxy was immediately admitted to the NICU at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies. As is common with extremely premature infants, Jahxy required intubation to support her breathing.
Approximately two weeks after Jahxy’s birth, her parents were informed of a shocking discovery. Their daughter had suffered a broken neck, which resulted in paralysis and an inability to breathe independently.
The lawsuit filed by Lopera and Peets alleges that a NICU employee used excessive force while handling Jahxy, breaking her neck and injuring her spinal cord. It goes on to say that the employee “put her back in the incubator without notifying anyone.”
Jahxy Peets succumbed to her injuries in November 2022, several months after the alleged incident. Her parents have now filed a lawsuit and are seeking a jury trial.
According to the lawsuit, there was no record of the injury in Jahxy’s medical files, nor was there any indication that an investigation had been conducted to identify the responsible individual. Per the lawsuit, they believe that the lack of documentation indicates “that an attempt to cover up the cause of Jahxy’s injury was made.”
The hospital has responded via a statement to ABC News that they “will not address specific medical cases publicly but will share that the delivery of care to extremely premature babies is complex and emotional work for parents, doctors, and nurses.”
They added that. “We offer our deepest sympathies to this family, and to any family who suffers the loss of a child, but also believe those who provide care in this environment should be judged on facts, not speculation. We look forward to discussing the facts of this case in the appropriate forum.”
