A Georgia couple has filed a lawsuit against a hospital in Riverdale, Georgia, claiming that their doctor decapitated their baby during the birth process and tried to cover up the incident.
The tragic birth of a first child
Jessica Ross, 20, went into labor with her first child on July 9, 2023 at Southern Regional Medical Center, according to the lawsuit obtained by WSB-TV. The lawsuit alleges that after about 10 hours of labor, the baby was stuck and the doctor, Dr. Tracey St. Julian, tried to pull the baby out for hours.
According to the lawsuit, the doctor pulled the baby’s head and neck “so hard and manipulated than so hard that the bones in the baby’s skull, head and neck were broken.” Hours later, a C-section was performed and the baby was found to be decapitated.
The alleged cover-up by the hospital staff
The lawsuit claims that the doctors tried to cover up what happened by reportedly telling the parents they could not get a free autopsy, had encouraged cremation, and had not said what happened. “When they wrapped the baby up tightly, they propped the baby’s head on top of the blanket to make it appear like the head was attached when it wasn’t,” the family’s attorney Dr. Roderick Edmond said, according to WSB-TV.
The lawsuit also accuses the hospital of lying and deceiving the parents about the condition of their baby and failing to provide proper care and treatment. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for medical malpractice, wrongful death, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of consortium.
The hospital’s response to the lawsuit
The hospital said, according to WSB-TV, that they cannot discuss what happened due to patient privacy laws. They said their prayers are with the family and the team that cared for the patient.
“This is one of the most sad, egregious, and horrific situations that I’ve ever seen,” Edmond said. “Their hopes turned into a nightmare that was covered up by the Southern Regional Medical Center.”
