Baby suffers ‘internal decapitation’ during birth

Most people aren’t familiar with the term “internal decapitation.” However that is what reportedly happened to a baby during her birth. Allegedly, when the doctor used forceps to deliver the little girl during an emergency C-section, he severed her spinal cord and also crushed her skull. She is brain dead, unable to breathe without equipment and cannot move on her own. Her parents are preparing to take her off of life support soon and donate her organs.

The baby was reportedly “perfectly healthy” until the birth injury occurred. Now the parents, who are engaged to be married, want to get the story of what happened to their daughter out. They and their friends are taking to social media to do that. A Facebook page has been set up to raise money and help more people learn about what happened. On the page, which is filled with photos of the baby, they say that they hope to get a law passed pass “so no other doctor can use a forcep.”

It was not reported what action, if any, has been taken against the doctor, or whether he is still practicing at the Texas hospital where the baby was delivered. One report says that he had previously “lost his privileges to practice” in two states. If that is the case, the hospital could have even more liability for the birth injury.

While no amount of money can make what happened to this baby and her family right, they can and should hold the doctor and perhaps the hospital financially liable for what happened. The parents have indicated that they want to turn their tragedy into a cause that will help prevent this from happening to anyone else. In many cases, Florida families use the financial damages awarded in civil cases to work to bring about positive change.

Source: Examiner.com, “Parents of child internally decapitated by doctor works to pass Olivia’s Law” Spring Lee, Dec. 31, 2013