An upstate New York mother is suing Albany Medical Center after her 1-month-old daughter died following multiple visits to the hospital’s pediatric emergency room earlier this year.
Shamaya Jackson, 35, is accusing hospital staff of negligence, saying the death of her daughter, Milani Finch, was “entirely preventable,” local CBS affiliate WRGB reported, citing the lawsuit filed Friday in Albany County Court.
According to Jackson, she brought her daughter to the hospital’s pediatric emergency room three times in April after Milani experienced breathing difficulties, Syracuse.com reported.
After the first trip, on April 9, Milani was discharged “with little done and a lack of answers,” according to the complaint.
Jackson returned to the hospital again on April 25, “as Milani was wheezing and had shortness of breath.”
The baby was admitted to the pediatric emergency room but was “discharged inexplicably” the next day, the lawsuit alleges.
As Milani’s condition worsened, Jackson returned to the hospital the following day. “By this time, baby Milani’s condition had deteriorated to the point that she [was] gasping for air. She was now in respiratory failure,” according to the complaint.
Milani died the next day. Blood tests later revealed Mimi was fighting two bacterial infections: MRSA and E. coli, WRGB reported.
“Ms. Jackson sought the help of Albany Medical Center and its staff and physicians on numerous occasions as her baby’s condition worsened,” the complaint states. “Twice she was sent home with little done. In baby Milani’s final days, defendants still failed to recognize the severity of her condition, allowing her to continue to suffer and finally die in her first month of life.”
The family is seeking unspecified damages “for conscious pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life and for economic damage.”
Hospital spokesperson Matt Markham said in a statement to Syracuse.com that its team of pediatric intensive care specialists is “fully trained in the most advanced lifesaving and support techniques available, and compassionate, quality care and patient safety are always our top priority.”
According to Markham, Albany Medical Center is the region’s sole children’s hospital. Its pediatric ICU cares for more than 1,100 critically ill or injured children every year.
