Parents Whose Baby Died Settle Malpractice Suit with S.D. Hospital

The parents of an infant who died at a Sioux Falls hospital have agreed to settle their malpractice lawsuit against the healthcare provider.

The terms of the mediated settlement between Avera McKennan Hospital and the baby’s parents, Khayyam and Tejumade Gordon, were not disclosed, the Argus Leader reported.

The boy, identified in court records as K.G., was born on Jan. 1, 2018, at Avera Holy Family Hospital in Estherville, Iowa, and was released two days later. Tejumade Gordon brought the boy to the emergency room 11 days later because of swelling in his left groin area, according to the lawsuit.

An ultrasound showed a hernia, and Tejumade Gordon was instructed to call her baby’s primary care physician the next day to discuss surgery. But his symptoms got worse, so Gordon returned to the ER with him later that night. He was again released.

The mother returned to the emergency room the next morning because her son had stopped eating, had been vomiting, was lethargic and had a temperature of 102 degrees, according to the complaint. An X-ray showed that he had multiple loops in his small intestine.

The infant was flown to Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls and placed in the pediatric intensive care unit. Another X-ray revealed a blockage in his bowel.

The baby had two surgeries in two days, but his condition continued to worsen and sepsis developed. Brain scans showed he was suffering seizures. The Gordons put him on a do-not-resuscitate order on the advice of his medical providers, and he died at less than 3 weeks old.

Topics Lawsuits