A heartbreaking lawsuit was announced on Wednesday by attorneys representing a Georgia couple whose baby was tragically decapitated during delivery. Jessica Ross and Treveon Isaiah Taylor Sr. held a news conference in Atlanta alongside their legal team, who revealed the lawsuit against Dr. Tracey St. Julian and Southern Regional Medical Center. The devastating incident occurred on July 9 at the hospital in Riverdale, Georgia, located just 13 miles south of Atlanta.
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Ross and Taylor revealed their joy about the imminent arrival of their first child was quickly shattered by a nightmare that their attorney’s claim was concealed by Southern Regional Medical Center.
The hospital, however, denies the allegations and cites privacy laws when declining to comment on specific patient cases. While extending their “heartfelt thoughts and prayers” to Ross, Taylor, and their care providers, the hospital expressed deep sadness over the loss and stated that they have taken appropriate actions in response to this tragic situation. It’s worth noting that St. Julian is not an employee of Southern Regional Medical Center.
According to the lawsuit, the baby became stuck during delivery, but rather than promptly seeking help or performing a c-section, Dr. St. Julian allegedly exerted excessive force on the baby’s head and neck. This reportedly continued for a three-hour period before a cesarean section was finally performed. Tragically, the baby had no heartbeat by that point. The cesarean section resulted in the delivery of the baby’s legs and body, while the head was delivered vaginally.
The baby was not able to be delivered vaginally due to shoulder dystocia, where the baby’s shoulders become stuck in the birth canal.
It is alleged that the couple had requested a cesarean section earlier, but their initial request was denied. The attorneys not only highlighted the devastating impact of this case on the young couple, but they also drew attention to the disproportionate rates of infant and maternal mortality among Black women.
Aside from the medical negligence, the lawsuit accuses Southern Regional staff of attempting to cover up the decapitation by discouraging the couple from pursuing an autopsy and instead urging them to have their son cremated. Additionally, the suit claims that the hospital staff wrapped and propped the baby’s body in a way that concealed the decapitation and would only allow the couple to view the baby not hold them.
“During this viewing, their baby was wrapped tightly in a blanket with his head propped on top of his body in a manner such that those viewing him could not identify that he had been decapitated,” the statement from the family’s spokesperson read.
The couple only found out what had happened to their son while making arrangements at the crematorium, four days after his death.
The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified punitive damages, asserts claims of gross negligence, fraud, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
