Family Blames Parkland For Death Of Loved One
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Two daughters are grieving for their mother Debra Wilson, who died two weeks ago at the age of 60.
Charlotte Wilson says it's been "Hard, very hard." Her sister Charvette Wilson-Brooks says, she takes it "Day by day."
In late August, Debra Wilson suffered a heart attack and remained unconscious until she passed away. Her husband Charlie says, "We were praying and hoping she'd come out of this."
Court papers show Wilson's husband and daughters believe Parkland Hospital's actions years earlier contributed to her death. Charlie Wilson filed a lawsuit against Parkland Hospital last year, but the case dates back to November, 2007, when Wilson had a common heart procedure at Parkland.
Wilson and her family say an x-ray following the procedure showed an 8-inch-long piece of a catheter was left in her aorta.
Debra Wilson and her husband told CBS 11 News last November that the hospital never mentioned it to them until seven years later in 2014.
Daughter Charlotte asks, "Would life have been different for her as far as treatment-wise if there had not been a catheter right in the area where her health actually failed?" She and her family cite the preliminary autopsy findings, filed in court papers, which mentions the "catheter tip in the abdominal aorta, approximately 8 inches in length," "focal blood clot adherent," and the "history of it being left from a procedure years prior..." The preliminary cause of death is hypertensive cardiovascular disease.
The family's attorney, Brad Kizzia of Dallas says, "It resulted in blood clotting and ultimately, she passed away due to the heart condition. We think it was a contributing factor, we think the autopsy will show that."
Parkland declined comment on the lawsuit. But the hospital's lawyers have argued in court that the cases should be thrown out because the Wilsons didn't file a claim within 6 months of the piece of catheter being left in her aorta, back in 2007.
Wilson's family has a message for Parkland administrators. Daughter Charlotte says, "Just please take responsibility that you have done this. There's no way in the world that she could have possibly known that this was in her."
Charvette Wilson-Brooks agrees, "Just own it, take responsibility."
Charlie Wilson says, "I think they should take responsibility. This wouldn't have happened."
The Wilsons first filed the case in state court in Dallas, Parkland moved the case to federal court. A federal judge recently sent the case back to state court, but now that Debra Wilson has died, her family hopes the judge will reconsider.
Attoney Brad Kizzia says they are seeking actual damages for the catheter being left inside Mrs. Wilson, and for being left there for seven years before someone at the hospital disclosed it.
Kizzia says had Mrs. Wilson been told much earlier, she could have sought treatment for it.
He says Wilson and her family also suffered from emotional distress.
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