Parents File Medical Malpractice Lawsuit After Child Dies From Tonsillectomy

The parents of a three-year-old who died after a tonsillectomy filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the surgeons who performed the operations. The medical malpractice lawsuit also names the owners of the hospital, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, as a defendant. The suit alleges that three-year-old Caleb Shamrell suffered severe brain damage after undergoing a procedure to remove his tonsils. Attorneys for the parents, Jenelle and Brigham Shamrell , have not yet specified the amount of monetary damages they are seeking.

Details of the Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

In December 2014, the Shamrells admitted Caleb to Covenant Medical Center, a hospital owned by Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, for what they believed would be a routine tonsillectomy. When they brought him home, according to the couple’s medical malpractice lawsuit, “he started throwing up blood.” The parents took him to Sartori Memorial Hospital, the medical facility closest to their home. From there, he was transferred back to Covenant, then on to the pediatric intensive care unit at the University of Iowa Medical Center.

Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Cites Hospital’s Mistakes

The medical malpractice lawsuit claims that Caleb received excessive amounts of anesthesia and electroshocks during the surgery, which caused “fatal brain damage.” The suit also claims that Caleb did not receive much-needed blood transfusions during the operation. The medical malpractice lawsuit also alleges that the hospital failed to admit the child into the emergency room soon enough to give him a chance to survive. While the suit did name both Sartori and Covenant as defendant, it does not include the university hospital where the boy died.

Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Victims Donate Child’s Organs

As the couple pursues their medical malpractice lawsuit, they also found ways to improve the lives of others after losing their child. The Shamrells donated several of Caleb’s organs after his untimely passing. A local news report showed that organ recipients have already received the child’s liver, kidneys, corneas and small intestine. Three of his heart valves have been preserved and are awaiting donors. Mrs. Shamrell told reporters, “If his life wasn’t going to be saved, then his life needed to save other people.”

Sources: KWWL-TV, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier

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NOTE: This post is a news story and does not imply an endorsement of Arguello Law Firm by any of the parties mentioned herein.