Woman Becomes Quadruple Amputee After Giving Birth

[Renew Deal]

This is beyond unbelievable.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A Sanford mother says she will never be able to hold her newborn because an Orlando hospital performed a life-altering surgery and, she claims, the hospital refuses to explain why they left her as a multiple amputee.

The woman filed a complaint against Orlando Regional Healthcare Systems, she said, because they won't tell her exactly what happened. The hospital maintains the woman wants to know information that would violate other patients' rights.

Claudia Mejia gave birth eight and a half months ago at Orlando Regional South Seminole. She was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center in Orlando where her arms and legs were amputated. She was told she had streptococcus, a flesh eating bacteria, and toxic shock syndrome, but no further explanation was given.

The hospital, in a letter, wrote that if she wanted to find out exactly what happened, she would have to sue them.

"I want to know what happened. I went to deliver my baby and I came out like this," Mejia said.
<snip>

http://www.wftv.com/news/6253589/detail.html

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Uhhhh boyee.

Someone is gonna own herself a hospital corporation. Thing is, it wouldn't even begin to repay her.

And the hospital is trying to hide behind HIPAA. A judge should accept that for maybe 13 femtoseconds.

[salin]

8. makes one think that if actions were legit

there info would be forthcoming to her. Is it really a HIPAA privacy issue when the patient herself, requests the info? That is absurd. The action itself suggests cover up.

[NYC Liberal]

19. They're claiming they can't because she wants to know if

OTHER patients had it, which is where she could've gotten it from.

We'll see how that works out.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

2. This story is a year old now (check the date). Any more news or followup?

[uppityperson]

20. google is my friend,

Edited to edit. These first 2 are older stories, I think.
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/0-0&fp=45c063fe469c46f5&ei=vSrARcq3CZigogKj1ry6DQ&url=http%3A//www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2007/01/a-sanford-fla-woman-was.php&cid=0
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/1-0&fp=45c063fe469c46f5&ei=vSrARcq3CZigogKj1ry6DQ&url=http%3A//www.digitaljournal.com/article/102835/Woman_wakes_up_after_childbirth_with_no_arms_and_no_legs&cid=1113141846

More recent. One year later...
http://www.wesh.com/news/9148849/detail.html

[Renew Deal]

23. It popped up at the top of Digg today.

And I didn't notice the year when I saw January.

[alarimer]

3. Holy crap!

She needs a lawyer ASAP. Sue the shit out of them; it sounds like they deserve it. How would telling her why they did this violate other patients' privacy?

[cynatnite]

4. They can't black out the names of patients who might have had it?

:wtf:

The hospital may know they are liable and it'll be clear as day once they get those records. Holding off the inevitible law suit, IMO.

[Rex]

5. Okay you have to spell it out here...

What The Fuck?

[texanwitch]

6. This is why I don't like going to hospitals.

Damn. Poor woman.

[Erika]

7. Is this yet another service privatized by Bush?

Or just the favoritism of Bush to corporations?

[caligirl]

9. where was the infomed consent? who signed the paperwork with her?

[cynatnite]

11. Yes, there was...

She wants to know how she got the bacteria in her system. It sounds like it was transferred from a patient to her by way of a negligent hospital worker.

[caligirl]

12. Thanks.

[Kagemusha]

10. It sounds like a claim that HIPAA prevents disclosure

in other words, she got flesh-eating bacteria from someone else in the hospital, but they can't say who or how without it violating HIPAA.

No idea if that claim would be true or not.

[tabasco]

13. Did they do "tort reform" in FLA yet?

I hope this poor woman can get decent compensation.

[Berry Cool]

14. I hope she gets a lawyer and fast.

That's just insane. She deserves to know how and why she got infected and had no say in her own treatment.

[kestrel91316]

25. She probably was not mentally coherent enough to "have a say" in her own

treatment. She was probably near death. She clearly doesn't remember anything that went on when she was so sick.

So do you think if a person in unconscious and can't give consent to lifesaving care they should just be allowed to die?

[ContraBass Black]

15. Of all the things I've seen at DU today, this is the only one that literally

Dropped my jaw.

[TheMadMonk]

18. U missed the one about the rape victim in Tampa then?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x85335

Arse covering is at least understandable, no matter how wrong.

[ContraBass Black]

21. I saw that one.

It didn't surprise me nearly as much.

[Quantess]

16. Shut up, lady. Your baby's fine. That's all anyone should care about.

In case anybody is wondering....... :sarcasm:

[TahitiNut]

17. Look on the bright side.

She didn't have to wait like she would in Canada. :sarcasm:

"Best health care system in the world." (Who said that?)

:puke: :puke:

[Leopolds Ghost]

22. A reply worthy of Monty Python.

"I'm afraid we can't install this new gas range because the name listed on this address is not the name you signed by."

"Well, what if I changed the name?"

"I'm afraid we'd have to come back in two weeks then."

"Well, not in the case of an emergency, such as death.
Section C, subpara. 1032..."

"Very well. Sign here, we kill you, we install the furnace."

"Oh thank you, sir! My husband will be so pleased when he gets home to see the furnace man has been by... I'm so glad I won't have to wait!"

[TahitiNut]

24. "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life" by Eric Idle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Always_Look_on_the_Bright_Side_of_Life