A Charlotte family took their fight to the front doors of Atrium Health Levine Children's Hospital this week, staging a silent protest as they demand answers about what happened to their daughter, Manyla Grace Conley. The family says Manyla suffered a stroke that left her partially paralyzed, and they have filed a medical-malpractice lawsuit alleging an improperly placed catheter during a neonatal stay caused the stroke and that hospital staff did not tell them about the connection for months.
The quiet demonstration, hosted by the group True Healing Under God, drew relatives and supporters who stood in front of the hospital holding portraits and signs. Atrium had reportedly offered a $5,000,000 settlement last fall, which the family turned down. Their lawsuit now seeks damages and a public accounting of Manyla's care, according to CBS17.
"I hope today shows Atrium that I'm a mother who will keep fighting," Manyla's mother, Shartezma Webber, told CBS17. Webber and other relatives say they plan to keep pushing not only for accountability in Manyla's case but also for other families they believe have been harmed by medical errors.
Lawsuit alleges catheter error
The family's complaint says Manyla, who was born prematurely, suffered a stroke linked to the improper placement of a catheter. The lawsuit alleges the hospital waited months before informing the family that the catheter may have played a role in the stroke and seeks damages to help cover Manyla's long-term care, as reported by Yahoo.
Growing community pressure on Atrium
The protest outside Levine Children's adds to mounting public pressure on Atrium Health in recent months. Demonstrators packed a hospital authority board meeting in December to press the system on a range of community concerns, according to North Carolina Health News. Advocates say public demonstrations have become a way for families to demand transparency, even as large health systems point to efforts to improve care.
What comes next
Because the family declined Atrium's settlement offer, the case is expected to move through the discovery process and could head toward trial if no agreement is reached. Reporters requested comment from Atrium and were still awaiting a response, according to Yahoo.
For now, the family says their goals are straightforward: justice for Manyla and changes that would prevent similar injuries to other newborns. They say they will keep pressing their case in court and in public until they get answers.
