A patient at Florida State Hospital (FSH) has filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against hospital staff, claiming that she was abused and neglected while she was pregnant and a patient at the hospital. Her son, now-six-month-old Elon, remains on life support after a series of medical errors on the part of FSH staff members caused him to suffer brain damage and permanent injury. Elon, who was born on December 23, 2011, is not expected to ever be able to walk, talk or breathe on his own, and if he survives, will likely require a lifetime of medical care. At the time of Elon's birth, his mother was a patient at Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee, the largest psychiatric hospital in the state. The lawsuit claims that Elon's condition was the direct result of avoidable errors and substandard medical care on the part of four hospital staff members.

Failure to Diagnose Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension

The first medical error involving Elon's mother came when FSH hospital records misstated the dates of her pregnancy and indicated that she was only 28 weeks pregnant, when she was in fact 36 weeks pregnant and ready to give birth at any time. Medical staff at FSH also failed to adequately document her vital signs and failed to recognize that she was suffering from pregnancy-induced hypertension. Pregnancy-induced hypertension is an indicator of a high-risk pregnancy that requires immediate care in order to avoid birth injuries. Unfortunately, when Elon's mother went into labor and requested medical attention, four hospital staff members ignored her requests and failed to provide a necessary standard of care.

Birth Injury Resulting from Medical Negligence

By the time outside medical professionals intervened in the pregnancy and the patient was airlifted to a Tallahassee hospital, Elon had already suffered irreversible damage. He was stillborn and immediately put on life support, although it is unclear whether he will survive the birth injuries he sustained as a result of negligence. Elon's grandfather, Ken Willis, told a Tallahassee newspaper that "this thing has torn our family apart." He continued, "This has been a horrendous time for our entire family." Two of the four employees connected with the medical malpractice case were fired and third resigned, although the resignation was said to be coincidental. The fourth staff member is on administrative leave. Since this instance of negligence took place, FSH has instituted some changes to improve oversight of medical staff and pregnancy care, a move that resulted in an OB/GYN doctor being replaced.