According to the lawsuit, the parents of a newborn who passed away several months after birth are taking legal action against a Florida hospital. They claim that an employee at the hospital broke the baby’s neck, leading to her untimely demise.
Jahxy Peets, an infant, was born prematurely at 24 weeks in June 2022 at the Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, as stated in the family’s lawsuit. Right after her birth, she was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit and required intubation.
Jahxy Peets, seen here in Orlando, Fla., before the tragic death of her newborn baby girl.
According to the lawsuit, handling a newborn with excessive force was the only thing that could have caused this particular spinal cord injury. It points out that there is no mention in the medical record of the specific incident that led to this traumatic injury, nor is there any indication that an investigation was conducted to identify and hold accountable the person responsible for causing such a devastating injury.
Lopera emphasized the importance of transparency for every parent whose baby is born at Winnie Palmer. He firmly believes that they deserve to know the truth about what happened to Jahxy. Lopera expressed concern that by covering up the incident, there is a risk of it occurring again in the future.
Lopera tearfully expressed the profound impact her daughter’s loss has had on her and her family.
“I never had the opportunity to hear my daughter cry. She never had the chance to meet her siblings or the rest of our family. We couldn’t celebrate any of her milestones. Throughout her short life, we were only able to hold her four times,” she expressed with a heavy heart.
Gianna Lopera and Jahmiah Peets are captured in a photograph alongside their beloved newborn baby girl, Jaxhy Peets, before the tragic incident that led to her untimely passing in Orlando, Florida.
The hospital spokesperson stated to ABC News that they will not publicly discuss individual medical cases. However, they emphasized that providing care to extremely premature infants is a challenging and emotionally charged process for both parents and healthcare professionals.
The spokesperson expressed their condolences to the family and any other family that goes through the heartbreaking experience of losing a child. They emphasized the importance of basing judgments on facts rather than speculation when it comes to assessing the caregivers in such situations. The spokesperson also mentioned their readiness to engage in a discussion about the specific details of this case in the appropriate setting.
The parents have requested a trial by jury.