Ohio Hospital Refuses to Help Viable Babies

Shock Video: Infants Die While Mother Pleads for Help, Hospital Staff Refuse to Assist

Mark Harrington, President
Created Equal

Twin preemie newborn boys died while staff at Riverside Methodist Hospital (Columbus, OH) refused to assist them. The boys’ mother, Amanda, had been told they would be stillborn or breathe only for a moment, but both were born alive. One breathed and cried for two and a half hours while Amanda pled for help and Riverside staff stood by.

Pregnant with twins, Amanda entered Riverside Methodist Hospital in June of 2017 at 22 weeks and 2 days in her pregnancy after experiencing bleeding. Riverside staff informed her that if the boys were delivered before 22 weeks and 5 days, there would be no attempt to resuscitate. Twins Emery and Elliot were born three days later, at 22 weeks and 5 days.

Emery survived for 45 minutes after his birth. A neonatal doctor put Emery under a heat lamp, but there was neither assessment of nor assistance given to him. Elliot, born second, was much larger. He survived for over two hours while assessment and assistance were denied in spite of Amanda’s cries for help.

Though her sons were born alive and died while Riverside staff refused to help, the hospital classified the incident "stillbirth"—sending Amanda home with stillbirth discharge papers.

• See evidence Emery and Elliot were born at 22 weeks, five days

• See stillbirth discharge papers Amanda was given

• Read Amanda's statement regarding the incident

The video is just now being released by Created Equal on Amanda’s behalf in order to allow ample time for resolution through non-public channels. For example, we assisted Amanda in submitting internal complaints to the hospital, allowing Riverside the opportunity to respond privately. However, the hospital rebuffed these efforts, asserting they "consider this matter closed" in spite of the fact that, to date, there has been neither recognition from the hospital about this tragedy nor condolence communicated to the grieving family.

Listen to audio of the hospital’s statement considering the matter "closed."

According to a 2015 New England Journal of Medicine article, babies born at 22 weeks have greater likelihood of survival than previously thought when given assistance. Lead author of the study, Dr. Edward Bell, has said 22 weeks should be a new marker of viability. The youngest known baby to survive was born at 21 weeks and 4 days. There is no justification for refusing to treat or even assess babies more than a week older than that. 

Watch the shocking footage below or on YouTube using this link!

TAKE ACTION!

E-Mail Riverside CEO David Blom

After you've emailed him by clicking the button above, call Blom at (614) 544-4412 to demand Riverside apologize for refusing to assess and assist Emery and Elliot. Insist they apologize to the family and amend their policies to match modern science and good ethics to try to help babies born at 22 weeks. A further complaint has been lodged with the Ohio Department of Health. Stay tuned for updates.

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