‘Our heart is broken’: Parents sue Orlando Health over baby’s broken neck and ultimate death
By Dacia Johnson
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ORLANDO, Florida (WESH) — The parents of a premature baby born in 2022 are suing Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies after they claim the hospital was responsible for their baby’s broken neck and ultimate death.
“Our heart is broken because we could not protect ourselves from Winnie Palmer Hospital. The place where she was supposed to be the safest,” said Gianna Lopera, Jazzy’s mother.
The parents’ attorneys filed a wrongful death lawsuit last Friday. Jazzy was born premature in June 2022.
“She was small, she was only 1 pound 1.8 ounces, but she was a fighter,” Jazzy’s Dad, Jahmiah Peets, said.
The lawsuit says there was no sign of any “birth-related trauma,” but by June 29, an MRI showed Jazzy’s neck had been broken.
The lawsuit said, “This type of spinal cord injury could not occur without the use of excessive force when handling a newborn. There is no note in the medical record documenting the excessive-force event which caused this traumatic injury, and no indication in the medical record that an investigation was performed.”
It goes on to say the injury was a result of negligence, and the baby suffered a “debilitating spinal cord injury,” which led to paralysis and an inability to breathe on her own.
Jazzy Peets died as a result on Nov. 25, 2022, the lawsuit states.
She was 165 days old. Her parents never got to take her home.
“We never celebrated a single milestone,” Lopera said. “We only held her four times. It should never have been that way,”
Orlando Health released the following statement to WESH:
“We 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. 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.
Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies is one of America’s premier maternity hospitals that is home to one of the largest and most sophisticated Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU). Physicians and clinicians at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital provide the highest quality of care to all patients, especially the most vulnerable.”
The parents are seeking compensation for damages and are requesting a jury trial.
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