A 12-year-old girl from New Mexico had to get her leg amputated after waiting 10 hours to see a doctor to treat her fracture, according to a lawsuit filed against the hospital.
Meiah Tafoya fell while rushing to class on October 14, 2022. The girl was taken to the Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where her mother claims she waited at the emergency room for 10 hours before hospital staff informed them that she could not be treated at the hospital and had to be transferred to another healthcare facility.
The lawsuit lists Presbyterian Healthcare Services as a defendant and states that Tafoya was transferred to the University of New Mexico Hospital. The 12-year-old underwent four surgeries which included getting her leg amputated.
The lawsuit argues that had the staff at Presbyterian Hospital treated her promptly, she would not have needed to get her leg amputated. It also argues that the girl might not have needed to get one or more of the surgeries she underwent.
The Presbyterian Health Services released a statement via a spokesperson confirming that the hospital had been served with the lawsuit. The statement said the hospital would reserve any comments on the lawsuit for the appropriate “venue.”
According to Tafoya’s mother, Stephanie Sedillo, when she got a call from the school informing her that her daughter had an accident, she rushed there and immediately took Tafoya to the Presbyterian Hospital.
When they arrived, Tafoya was triaged, and an X-ray was conducted on her left leg. The staff then told her to wait for the doctor even though she was visibly in pain and crying.
Sedillo said she repeatedly asked the staff when her daughter would get medical attention, but they said they were busy attending to seriously ill patients.
At some point, Tafoya’s leg went cold, and when her mother informed staff, they said they were still waiting on the X-ray results.
According to the complaint, Tafoya’s leg was not immobilized at any point during their 10-hour wait, which contributed to blood circulation issues and internal blood loss.
Todd J. Bullion, an attorney representing the 12-year-old and her mother, said Tafoya now uses a wheelchair and has not resumed school.
Speaking to a local news station, Bullion said that Tafoya, who was an active member of the school band and played the trombone, is now limited to activities she can do and will need to get a prosthetic leg.
Sedillo, a single mom of four, has been taking care of her daughter full-time and had to take leave from her job.
The lawsuit is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.