A family in Detroit is suing a hospital. They say the hospital lost a piece of their mother’s skull. This happened after surgery. The woman, Edna Burton, is now bedridden.
The Oliver Bell Group is the law firm for the family. They shared the details. Edna Burton had a stroke on June 14, 2023. She was taken to Ascension St John Hospital. Five days later, she needed surgery.
The surgery is called a decompressive right hemicraniectomy. It removes part of the skull. This relieves pressure on the brain after a stroke. The surgeon was very clear. The piece of skull was to be saved. It needed to be put back later.
But when it was time to reattach the bone, the hospital could not find it. The family says the hospital lost it. The hospital told the family there was a mix-up. They said the bone was confused with another patient’s body parts. The other patient had a similar name.
Because her own bone was lost, Edna Burton needed a replacement. She got a prosthetic skull piece. Her lawyers say this artificial piece is not as good as her own bone. It “lacks crucial benefits of her God-given anatomy.”
After this, her health got much worse. Her daughter, Erica, spoke to WDIV news. She said her mother “stopped talking, really, stopped eating, like bed-bound, she had bed sores.”
Her physical therapist stopped treatment. The therapist said continuing was like “torturing her” because of the pain.
Her daughter questions the hospital’s explanation. “They could say that it all stemmed from the stroke – how do we know? You threw her bone away. You didn’t even give her the chance,” Erica said.
The family’s lawyer, Cameron Bell, also spoke. He talked about the hospital’s claim. He said the hospital is “suggesting she’s better off with the artificial skull.” He called this idea “asinine.”
The law firm says the hospital’s apology made things worse. After the prosthetic surgery, the hospital gave Edna Burton a $25 gas gift card. The lawyers called this “adding insult to injury.”
Alyson Oliver is a founding partner of the law firm. She released a statement. “This was a serious breach of the duties the hospital owed to our client. It is unacceptable and justice will be served,” she said.
The lawsuit wants to make the hospital take responsibility. It also seeks full compensation for Edna’s medical care and well-being.
The law firm added, “Our client deserved dependable medical care during a life-threatening emergency. Instead, she suffered an avoidable and life-changing injury due to simple negligence.”
Erica, Edna’s daughter, says the lawsuit is about more than money. “It’s not even about the money. You don’t know what you took from us,” she said.
She has three young children. “Please let them remember their nana,” she added.