Though many people may not realize it, October is the unofficial start of the flu season. People of all ages may get sick and while most will recover, some will lose their lives. While elderly people are generally the most susceptible, it is not unheard of for children to die from the flu. One family here in Texas is still grieving after a 7-year-old girl died just last year from complications with the flu, though her family says that her misdiagnosis is the reason she is no longer here. They want her story to serve as a warning for this upcoming flu season.
The family says that the girl came down with a fever, and they were not initially alarmed. After a few days they say they noticed discoloration in her lips and that she was having difficulty breathing. They took her to a children’s urgent care center where a nurse practitioner reportedly said the girl had the flu. The family claims that the facility did not take any X-rays or do additional testing and blamed her rapid breathing on her high fever, sending her home with ibuprofen. The girl’s father says they had to rush her to a nearby emergency room the very next day, with blood coming from her mouth, but it was too late.
Apparently, the girl had early signs of pneumonia. The parents say that additional testing at the urgent care facility may have saved her life. The girl had autism and was unable to communicate the way neurotypical children her age are generally able to do. They want to caution families to ensure that a physician is on site to oversee care at a given medical facility.
The girl’s family believes that this misdiagnosis could and should have been avoided. They may be pursuing legal action against the urgent care facility and any other responsible parties over the untimely death of their daughter. Other families in Texas may also have this option for justice for their loved ones and may want to work with a medical malpractice attorney to that aim.