When a parent takes his or her child to a hospital in Atlanta for treatment, they expect that the child will be taken care of and protected from harmful bacteria and contagious diseases. Unfortunately, hospitals are sometimes notorious for being places where people become sick with an illness they picked up at the hospital. However, hospitals need to do everything in their power to provide as safe a place as possible.
A hospital may be held liable for knowing about a disease-causing bacteria in the water, but not doing anything about it. A couple is suing the medical center for hospital negligence after their 7-month-old son died after contracting legionnaire’s disease during his stay in the hospital.
In February the baby was diagnosed with Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome when he was 4-months old and required a bone marrow transplant. He was admitted into the hospital in April for 12 days of chemotherapy followed by the transplant surgery. The surgery was a success, and the baby was doing well. However, he soon took a turn for the worse and died when his organs failed on May 16.
The parents said that although there were various precautions set into place by the hospital to ensure as sterile an environment as possible, they were told by a hospital employee to not use the shower in the baby’s room because there was a bug in the water lines.
It turns out that bug was Legionella, a disease-causing bacterium. Although they followed the hospital’s instructions and did not use the shower, the baby still became sick. Hopefully with the help of their lawyer and lawsuit, these parents can feel a sense of closure and receive proper compensation for the death of their little boy.
Source: Lake County News, “Family sues over son’s legionnaire’s disease death at UCSF Medical Center; UC Regents deny allegations,” Elizabeth Larson, Dec. 12, 2013
