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A Georgia couple has filed a lawsuit against Dr. Tracey St. Julian and the Southern Regional Medical Center in Riverdale. According to Daily Mail, the couple alleges that the doctor decapitated their son during his birth. Then placed his head on his body to conceal what happened.
On July 9, Jessica Ross and Treveon Isaiah Taylor Sr. arrived at the medical center for the birth of their son, Treveon Isaiah Taylor Jr. According to the outlet, Ross’s delivery began around 8:40 p.m. However, her son’s shoulders reportedly became “stuck” during the vaginal delivery.
Dr. Tracey St. Julian is said to have delayed Ross’s C-section, while also not requesting additional assistance. The doctor is accused of applying “excessive force” on the baby’s neck and head as she continued her delivery efforts.
According to the outlet, the baby’s body and legs were delivered via c-section almost three and a half hours later. At that time, the baby’s head was delivered vaginally.
At this point, Ross demanded to hold her child. The baby was allegedly given to her with his head “propped on top of his body,” and his body wrapped in a blanket concealing the infant’s injuries.
“During this viewing, their baby was wrapped tightly in a blanket with his head propped on top of his body in a manner such that those viewing him could not identify that he had been decapitated,” a statement on behalf of the couple reads, as per CNN.
Ross alleges that she and her partner did not learn of their son’s injuries until they were informed by the funeral home.
“This caused immediate, profound emotional and mental anguish for (the plaintiffs) … emotional and mental anguish that they continue to experience and most probably will experience for the rest of their lives,” the complaint reads, as per NBC 15.
According to CNN, Ross and Taylor Sr. filed the lawsuit in Clayton County, Georgia on Wednesday. The couple alleges that Dr. St. Julian did not inform them of their child’s decapitation for his delivery and passing.
Additionally, they allege that the medical center discouraged them from opting for an autopsy for their son. Instead, the center allegedly encouraged that the infant be cremated.
The lawsuit also alleges that if a c-section for Ross had been opted for earlier, the infant would have had a chance of survival.
“They were so excited about the birth of their first child. Unfortunately, their dreams and hopes turned into a nightmare that was covered up by Southern Regional Medical Center,” Cory Lynch, the couple’s attorney, explained during a recent press conference, as per ABC News.
Furthermore, “several nurses” have also been named in the suit for failing to take proper protocols once the infant’s shoulders became lodged.
According to Daily Mail, the Southern Regional Medical Center has since offered its “heartfelt thoughts and prayers” to the couple. Additionally, the center alleges that Dr. St. Julian is not “an employee of the hospital.”
“[The Southern Regional Medical Center has] taken the appropriate steps in response to this unfortunate situation.”
CNN reports that the center has denied the allegations. Additionally, it adds that the couple was “not allowed to touch or hold their child.”
According to the Daily Mail, Ross and Taylor Sr. are seeking to be compensated for the suffering and passing of their son. Additionally, they would like to be compensated for the “tremendous mental and physical anguish and trauma’ experienced by Ross.”
The lawsuit reportedly seeks an “unspecified” amount in “punitive damages.”
CNN reports the lawsuit also requests a jury trial and compensation for the child’s “lifetime earnings” and “burial costs.” Additionally, the outlet reports that an autopsy is underway on the infant’s body.
