SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — The parents of a 9-month-old Springfield baby who died of bacterial meningitis are suing a Springfield hospital, alleging that a misdiagnosis delayed life-saving care.
The Springfield News-Leader reports that Melanie and Sam Blair filed the wrongful death lawsuit last month against Mercy Hospital. The suit says they took their son, Charlie, on Feb. 5 to Mercy’s emergency room, where he was diagnosed with a common virus. They returned three days later to the hospital, where the boy continued to be treated for a viral condition. He was discharged Feb. 10.
After having a stroke the next day, he was taken to St. Louis Children’s Hospital, where he was diagnosed correctly. But the suit says it was too late. Mercy says in a statement that it’s “heartbroken” and reviewing the case.
