Last summer we covered the story of Fire Chief David Davis, of Odenville, Alabama who was accused of flushing two premature (20 weeks) stillborn fetuses down a toilet last July while on an EMS run.
Yesterday, Kimberly Chyann Garrison, filed suit against Regional Paramedical Services Inc., the city of Odenville and Chief Davis alleging negligence and negligent infliction of severe emotional distress. Chief Davis was terminated by the city shortly after the incident.
Posted in Civil Suit, EMS, Negligence, You Can't Make This Stuff Up
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20 week old twins are not going to be viable. The week age for viability was recently adjusted lower than the 26 most of us were trained with, but that represents single births and multiples generally always require more time. We don’t know what was actually found in the toilet and was it even resembling humanity? Armchair quarterbacks abound with stuff such as this. With that said, seems it was not handled at all well by the officer and crew present. Wish we would all await to pass judgment until more information is out there. Glad it was not me making the choice but I don’t think I would have gone this way given the scenario as it is presented here. Give me all sides please!
Doesn’t matter if they were viable!!! They obviously resembled humanity or they would not have found them in the septic system!! Pass Judgement?? WOW
Really? DIdn’t see that one coming.
I can’t think of enough ways to spell s-t-u-p-i-d to cover this act that disgraces Medics everywhere. A life begins at conception – I don’t want to hear your 20 whatever week rule. Once you’ve seen your baby’s heartbeat – at 8 weeks – it’s a life. He was a disgrace to our profession. I’m just literally sick to my stomach.
I’d like to get a look at the lawsuit’s complaint. There are a number of causes of action for disrespecting the remains of a deceased and my sense is the suit probably alleges more than just negligence…
What was this guy thinking? The least he could have done was retrieve the fetuses and transport them to the hospital with the mother.
I feel for the mother. No matter how developed or viable the babies were, they were her babies – loved. I know from experience…when I miscarried at the local hospital, the doctor flushed my baby (remains) down the toilet in MY room. Some people are just thoughtless! We love our babies from the moment we know they are inside us. I hope the mother will be able to find some closure…she will never find peace with this.
Any products of conception, viable or not,must be transported. If the fetus is over >500 Grams, it is considered Human Remains and handled as such. Under <500 Grams goer to the Hospital Pathology Dept. In the case of Twins, if 1 is over 500 Grams it goes to the Hospital morgue, the other if under 500 Grams, goes to Pathology. Fetuses can be reunited later for funeral/burial or disposal (up to Parents) after forensics are completed. It is never up to us as Medics to dispose on scene. If there is a question as to what the toilet bowl contains, cover your butt & leave it up to the Medical Examiner to determine how to proceed. Have Police seal the scene & notify the M.E. Transport Mom & leave it up to them.