Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital is wrapped in controversy, now facing accusations from multiple families alleging the mishandling and loss of their infants' remains, a problem that is emerging as far from isolated. The hospital, revered for its medical prowess, is being scrutinized over what lawyers are calling a "missing baby problem."
The distress first unfolded publicly with the case of baby Everleigh, who died in August 2020 at just 12 days old. When the time came to lay the child to rest, her remains were nowhere to be found in the hospital's morgue, a haunting discovery that led her parents, Alana Ross and Daniel McCarthy, to file a lawsuit for the emotional turmoil brought upon them. As reported by NBC Boston, an employee had inadvertently discarded Everleigh’s body along with soiled linens.
However, the deepening crisis at Brigham and Women's Hospital extends beyond this one grief-stricken family. "Their fears have now been realized — that this has happened to at least four other families," attorney Greg Henning told NBC Boston. These families, who have stepped forward with claims that they too never received their children's remains, span 17 months between 2020 and 2022.
During a recent hearing, Patrick Driscoll, representing the plaintiffs, struck a chord in court as he elucidated an even broader issue, "The plaintiffs, despite the best efforts of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, have discovered that this is not an isolated incident," he stated, according to the Boston Herald. In a move to shed further light on the distressing pattern, the plaintiffs' lawyers urge the hospital to release documents and overrule their medical privilege-based objections.
In defense, Brigham and Women’s attorney Allyson Hammerstedt detailed distinctions in the cases, asserting that the four recent ones revolved around "voluntary induction termination procedures under 24 weeks," as per Boston Herald. She maintained that, to her knowledge, all instances had a signed release for disposal in line with hospital policy. Despite these defenses, the hospital's credibility is under intense examination as patients seek transparency and solace in a place where such is owed but seems, hauntingly, to be in shortage.
As the legal battle unfolds, the stories of other children, referred to by the names Oliver, Katherine, and Kaylee in court documents, have been brought to light, each a testament to an anguish no family should bear. "Regardless of what the judge decides here, there are four other families that need to have accountability," Gregory Henning urged, pushing for answers and justice in a situation where loss has been compounded by uncertainty and despair.
