‘Looked on Helplessly’: Girl Died From Ant Bites After Hospital Negligence, Parents Say

The parents of a 2-year-old girl in Georgia are suing a local hospital following the tragic death of their daughter after she was bitten by ants and suffered an allergic reaction. The lawsuit, filed on April 4, claims that the medical staff at Piedmont Eastside Medical Center in Snellville failed to treat their daughter, Maya Getahun, properly, resulting in her death. According to the family, the hospital’s emergency room lacked the necessary equipment to properly treat the child’s condition, leading to a delay in life-saving interventions.

The Tragic Incident: An Ant Bite Turns Deadly

On October 7, 2024, Maya’s parents, Bethelhem Getu Hundie and Getahun Birhanu, brought their daughter to the emergency room at Piedmont Eastside Medical Center after she was bitten by ants. The child developed an immediate allergic reaction, which caused her to struggle with breathing. According to the family’s complaint, Maya was “wheezing” and her breathing became “labored,” prompting her parents to seek medical assistance. Even though the medical team recognized that Maya was experiencing an allergic reaction, the lawsuit claims that there was a delay in administering epinephrine to counteract the effects. The family alleges that it took more than 20 minutes for the hospital staff to provide the medication, a critical delay in treating a potentially fatal allergic reaction.

The Failure to Intubate: A Fatal Mistake

As the situation worsened, the medical team attempted to intubate Maya to help her breathe. However, the complaint alleges that the doctor performing the intubation realized the hospital lacked the proper equipment for a pediatric patient, particularly the appropriate size for Maya. The lawsuit describes a horrifying moment when the doctor administered the rapid sequence intubation drugs, which paralyze the patient, only to discover that the equipment needed for the procedure was unavailable. As a result, Maya’s oxygen levels deteriorated, and her parents were forced to watch in helplessness as their daughter suffered due to the hospital’s failure to act. “Maya’s parents looked on helplessly as their daughter slowly died from lack of oxygen,” the complaint reads. The family argues that the hospital’s inability to provide the necessary equipment for pediatric care is a direct violation of its duty of care as an emergency department.

Legal Action: Seeking Justice for Maya

Maya’s parents have filed a lawsuit against both the hospital and the doctor involved in her treatment, claiming negligence, wrongful death, and punitive damages above $10,000. The lawsuit seeks to hold the hospital accountable for its actions and push for policy changes that would prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

Lloyd Bell, the attorney representing Maya’s family, expressed the family’s devastation over the situation. He stated that the hospital’s medical professionals “failed them at every turn” and that the lawsuit is about seeking justice for their daughter. Bell emphasized that the family hopes this case will lead to policy and procedural changes at Piedmont Eastside Medical Center to ensure that no other child faces the same fate. “This lawsuit is about holding the hospital accountable and getting justice for Maya and her family,” Bell said. “By shining a light on these horrible events, the family hopes Piedmont will change their policies and procedures to ensure this doesn’t happen to another child.”