$17M lawsuit alleges upside-down heart valve left Oregon girl on life support
Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) is facing a $17 million lawsuit, filed by the parents of a 13-year-old girl who received an artificial heart valve at its Portland hospital. The family contends that instead of saving her life, the botched procedure nearly killed their teenage daughter.
The alleged medical error is so egregious that Steven and Lori Stokes, the plaintiffs in the case, are seeking $17 million. They claim hospital staff installed the heart valve upside down, leading to the young girl being hooked up to life support for 18 days.
Further, they claim doctors never discovered the error. It wasn’t until the patient was moved to Seattle Children’s Hospital that the heart valve was flipped around, and by then it was nearly too late.
According to the court filing, providers at OHSU believed the teenager was simply responding poorly to the surgery, which was presumed to have been otherwise successful.
Staff began to talk to the Stokes about preparing for the end of their daughter’s life, the family claims, forcing them to make serious decisions regarding prolonged life support and organ donations.
In a last-ditch effort to save her life, it was determined she was a candidate for a donor heart. That’s what brought the girl to Seattle Children’s, where the true problem was discovered by surgeons.
The girl, who has not been named, is said to have made a full recovery—but her parents say it’s a miracle she’s alive, and contend that she wouldn’t be alive had they not made the risky decision to transport their daughter to Seattle.
Once there, a new prosthetic valve was said to be put in place—this time, the correct way.
The Stokes family said they have been left with nearly $4 million in medical bills from OHSU and Seattle Children’s, a tab they hope the lawsuit will cover. The remaining $13 million they’re demanding is for pain and suffering, both emotional and physical.
For more on this case, read the full story in the Oregonian at the link below.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.