ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orlando hospital is now facing a lawsuit after allegations arose that staff fatally broke a newborn’s neck and tried to hide the evidence.
The lawsuit, which was filed on Thursday, says that the incident happened in June 2022 at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies.
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According to court records, mother Gianna Lopera gave birth to the child — Jahxy Peets — via a STAT C-section at 24 weeks of gestation.
Afterward, Jahxy was intubated and admitted to the NICU, and there was no evidence of any birth-related trauma, the lawsuit states.
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But around two weeks later, the neurosurgery department was consulted due to a “concern for abnormal tone of her upper extremities,” court records show.
“An MRI of the cervical spine was performed, which showed cord signal abnormality, enlargement and presumed hemorrhage involving portions of the cervical and thoracic cord,” the lawsuit reads. “To put it simply, Jahxy Peet’s neck had been broken.”
The lawsuit claims this type of spinal cord injury couldn’t have happened without the use of excessive force when handling Jahxy, though there was no documentation in her medical records about something like that occurring.
In addition, the lawsuit says that there was no indication in Jahxy’s medical records about an investigation to “identify and bring to justice” whomever may have caused the injury.
“This traumatic event was either not recognized or was not reported, and it appears from the records that an attempt to cover up the cause of Jaxy’s injury was made, as there is no mention of a precipitating event in the medical record,” the lawsuit adds.
As a result of the injury, Jahxy was paralyzed and became unable to breathe on her own, the lawsuit says. She later died in November 2022.
Now, her parents are accusing the hospital of medical malpractice resulting in Jahxy’s death.
“Her survivors, Gianna Lopera and Jahmiah Peets, have suffered mental pain and suffering which will continue for the rest of their lives,” the lawsuit says. “They have incurred medical and funeral expense and have suffered the loss of Jahxy Peets’ love and companionship.”
The full lawsuit has been attached to this story and can be read by scrolling below:
Gianna l Opera Lawsuit by Anthony Talcott on Scribd