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Cerebral Palsy Victim Can Afford Care After iPhone Game Fundraiser

February 2, 2012 by

While we have heard of handheld devices such as the iPhone or iPad being used as part of therapy programs for children with cerebral palsy, an actual game being developed to raise money for a child with a birth injury is a new – and to us – fantastic idea.

According to the video game publication Gamepro, mobile developer Big Ideas Digital has launched a charity drive involving one of its iPhone games – Say What You See: The Collection – to raise money for a 5-year-old girl born with spastic dyplegic cerebral palsy.

Grace Windram was diagnosed with the birth injury – which affects muscle control in the legs, arms, mouth, and tongue – after she was born prematurely in 2006. After undergoing treatments, she still is unable to walk. There was hope that this could change after Grace was accepted to receive intense physiotherapy that could teach her to walk at the St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

However, the price tag for the complicated procedure (approximately $68,000) presented a road block. Grace’s parents would have to raise money so they could afford the medical bills. Enter, Big Ideas Digital.

The mobile game developer launched a charity drive in September, selling a 99 cent update to their iPhone game consisting of a new level (called “Grace’s Tunes”) in which the user has to find 50 well-known cartoon names in a Road Runner-themed backdrop

In eight weeks, the drive has raised approximately $30,000, more than enough to help the Windrams start to pay for the procedure.

“We will be eternally grateful for the generous support that Big Ideas has given Grace’s Fund,” said Helen Windram, Grace’s mother.

Medical costs can escalate quickly if you are caring for a child with a birth injury such as cerebral palsy. Speak to a birth injury lawyer at American Law Partners today to learn more about possibly pursuing a lawsuit that could result in a monetary settlement to fund medical care for your child in the years to come.

Filed Under: Birth Injuries, Birth Injury Lawyer, Birth Injury Lawyers, Birth Injury News, Cerebral Palsy, Cerebral Palsy Birth Injuries

Florida Couple wins $4.5 million in Birth Injury Lawsuit

February 2, 2012 by

A West Palm Beach, Florida, couple has been awarded $4.5 million in a birth injury lawsuit levied against the doctors who did not properly anticipate and care for their child, who was born with no arms and only one leg.

The Palm Beach Post reported that Ana Mejia and Rodolfo Santana were awarded the money – half of the $9 million they were originally seeking – to help fund a life plan for their son, Bryan, so he could live a comfortable life for an estimated 70 years. The $9 million plan maps out costs for prosthetics, wheelchairs, medical care, and assisted living needs over that time span.

“Ana and Rodolfo Santana know their mental anguish and their emotions are not important,” said Robert Bergin, the couple’s attorney. “The only thing that will help make up for their mental anguish is to know Bryan’s life plan is fully funded.”

The jury ruled in the couple’s favor after deciding that sonograms taken prior to Bryan’s birth were read incorrectly by doctors and technicians and failed to pick up his disabilities. The couple stated during the trial they would have terminated the pregnancy had they known about Bryan’s disabilities.

While Bryan’s situation is an unfortunate one, it is good to know that this birth injury lawsuit will help him pay for any medical costs he needs throughout his life.

If you or a loved one has given birth to a child that now suffers from a birth injury caused by a doctor’s negligence, it may be possible to pursue a birth injury lawsuit. Contact a birth injury lawyer at American Law Partners today to learn more about your legal options.

Filed Under: Birth Injuries, Birth Injury Attorney, Birth Injury Attorneys, Birth Injury Lawyer, Birth Injury Lawyers, Birth Injury News

Honor Those with Cerebral Palsy during National Disability Employment Awareness Month

February 2, 2012 by

Birth injuries such as cerebral palsy are a life-long condition. So many adults who were born with cerebral palsy must cope with it as they live their lives, maintain families, and work full-time.

With the U.S. Labor Department celebrating October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we thought it would be appropriate to take a moment to honor cerebral palsy patients who contribute so much to the workforce.

Cerebral palsy is a term used for a group of conditions that are caused by injuries or abnormalities of the brain and nervous system that most often occur while the baby is still in the womb. Many times, cerebral palsy can develop due to medical negligence.

Severe cases of cerebral palsy often require regular medical assistance and can significantly hamper one’s ability to move. However, other cases may be much more manageable and allow the individual to live a mostly independent and self-sufficient life, which may include pursuing a full-time career.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month was created to help appreciate the work that disabled individuals do in the workplace every day that may otherwise go unnoticed, said Kathy Martinez, the assistant secretary of labor for disability employment policy.

“Return on investment means hiring the right talent,” said Martinez. “Workers with disabilities represent all skill sets and are ready to get the job done. This year’s theme focuses on improving employment opportunities that lead to good jobs and a secure economic future for people with disabilities and the nation as a whole.”

National Disability Employment Awareness Month also attempts to instill ideas of creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace for people with disabilities so they can gain dignity, respect and self-determination through their profession.

The history of National Disability Employment Awareness Month dates back to 1945, when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October each year “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” By 1988, Congress expanded it to the full month of October and adjusted the name accordingly. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy has handled awareness responsibilities for the month since 2001.

If you or a loved one have a child who suffered a birth injury and now suffers from a form of cerebral palsy that may have been caused by medical malpractice or negligence, it may be worth considering a birth injury lawsuit. Speak to a birth injury lawyer at American Law Partners today to learn more about the legal options that may be open to you.

Filed Under: Birth Injuries, Birth Injury Attorney, Birth Injury Attorneys, Birth Injury Lawyer, Birth Injury Lawyers, Birth Injury News, Cerebral Palsy, Cerebral Palsy Birth Injuries

Correlation of Cerebral Palsy and The Drug Pitocin

July 25, 2011 by
Correlation of Cerebral Palsy and The Drug Pitocin

(Courtesy Photo)

July 25, 2011

 

Cerebral Palsy is a non-genetic condition, which can be caused by trauma in the womb before birth, the actual birth, or even in early childhood, that limits physical movement and activity, and hinders proper development. Many children suffer from this horrible condition, and one such child is Briana Beaver.

 

During her childhood, Briana had many hang-ups from her condition, but she specifically recalls one incident in a ladies bathroom in Chico, California. One day Briana found herself lying on the floor inside the bathroom stall, unable to make any physical movements to unlock the door. As she lay on the floor sobbing, unable to move, she saw many women enter and exit the bathroom without aiding her in the slightest. Eventually, Briana was found by her mother, Faelin Klein, who came to her rescue. She also made a point and chided every woman in the bathroom for ignoring her traumatized little girl. Briana is presently 23 years of age and still suffers from Cerebral Palsy.

 

Even through her condition, she has attended a university, and is closing the college chapter of her life with a degree in sociology. But Cerebral Palsy still affects her life in every area. Chiefly, Briana is not viewed by the world as an average, normal girl. Instead, she is perceived as a burden, and “the girl with the disability”. Her community does not see her for her sense of humor, intellect, or as a woman who has hopes and dreams of being a wife and mother someday; but no, she is labeled as a disabled burden. In desperation for answers about her condition three years ago, Briana stumbled upon startling information. Approximately one hour after she was born, she stopped breathing for five minutes.

 

She found this to be a result of the drug Pitocin, which was used to induce her mother’s labor. She web searched “Pitocin and Cerebral Palsy”, and found that the two are very closely related-Pitocin being a catalyst to Cerebral Palsy. Her research led her to over five hundred cases similar to her own, and a plethora of information referencing the life threatening risk of using Pitocin. This discovery also led her to birth injury lawyers that had expertise on cases involving Pitocin and Cerebral Palsy correlation. Briana claims that her Cerebral Palsy was a result of medical malpractice, and that it’s not a coincidence she was born that way. She would have been a perfectly healthy child were it not for the irresponsible use of the drug Pitocin.

 

Filed Under: Birth Defects News, Birth Injuries, Birth Injury Lawyer, Birth Injury Lawyers, Birth Injury News, Breaking News, Cerebral Palsy, Cerebral Palsy Birth Injuries, Featured Tagged With: , ,

Illinois Hospital and Doctor Sued after Daughter Born With Cerebral Palsy

July 11, 2011 by

July 11, 2011 – The parents of a birth injury victim recently filed a lawsuit against Illinois hospital Memorial Hospital in Belleville for causing their daughter’s cerebral palsy.

Jennifer and Lance Schneider recently filed a lawsuit against the hospital, claiming their child was born with hypoxic brain injury, which means she did not receive enough oxygen to her brain during the birthing process.   They also contend that medical negligence on the part of a doctor at the hospital caused their daughter’s cerebral palsy, according to The Madison/St. Claire Record.

Cerebral palsy is the umbrella term for a group of chronic muscle disorders. It is always caused by an injury or abnormality to the brain that the child suffers before, during or shortly after birth. In many cases, the condition is the result of negligence on the part of medical professionals and this birth injury can be prevented.

For many families, taking care of a child disabled with cerebral palsy can be costly. Medications, therapy, counseling, rehabilitation, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, schooling, assistive devices and special recreational activities are often unexpected and overwhelming expenses for families.  According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the average lifetime cost for one person with cerebral palsy is $921,000. This figure represents both direct and indirect costs.

Illinois may be home to cutting edge medicine, yet every year doctors, nurses and hospitals in the state are responsible for providing substandard healthcare to their patients, including newborns.  I f you believe your child’s condition was due to a medical mistake, contact us for a free legal consultation with one of our Illinois birth injury attorneys to find out how we may be able to help.

Filed Under: Birth Injury Attorney, Birth Injury Lawyer, Birth Injury News, Cerebral Palsy, Illinois birth injury lawyer Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Medical Negligence Lawsuit Pays Florida Family $19.2 Million for Their Child’s Cerebral Palsy

July 8, 2011 by

July 8, 2011 – A Fort Meyers, Florida family has recently won a medical negligence lawsuit against a local medical center that caused their infant daughter to receive a dangerous drug overdose, and will now have to pay nearly $20 million for their carelessness.

According to WorldNow, Lee Memorial Health System is paying out $19.2 million to the family of Jeffrey and Melissa Smith after a medical negligence trial in Lee Circuit Court ruled that doctors at the center mistakenly gave their daughter Kiarra a near-fatal overdose.

Born on July 11, 2007 three months premature and only weighing only 1.5 pounds, Kiarra was quickly given a formula by doctors meant to replicate neonatal nutrition. The dosage she was given was measured by her weight.

However, when she was only 15 days old, a physician order sheet regarding Kiarra’s medication was updated by the pharmacy based on an error. As a result, the next dose she received was measured for a person who weighs 160 pounds – almost 100 times higher a dosage than she should have received – and caused her to go into cardiac arrest and develop a brain hemorrhage.

While doctors were able to save Kiarra with cardiopulmonary resuscitation and a transfusion of almost all the blood in her system, the ordeal left her suffering from a type of cerebral palsy that caused near blindness the loss of full control of her limbs, which left her wheelchair bound.

While the hospital admitted to making the error, they maintained during – and even following – the trial that they were not responsible for her lasting condition. However, following a two-week trial the court ruled that they had been responsible for the lifelong medical problems that Kiarra will now have to deal with.

Florida may be home to cutting edge medicine, yet every year doctors, nurses and hospitals in the state are responsible for providing substandard healthcare to their patients, including newborns.  Cases of medical negligence can oftentimes result in lifelong medical issues that families must live with.  If you believe your child’s condition was due to a medical mistake, contact us for a free legal consultation with one of our Florida birth injury attorneys to find out how we may be able to help.

Filed Under: Birth Injuries, Birth Injury Attorney, Birth Injury Lawyer, Cerebral Palsy, Cerebral Palsy Birth Injuries, Florida birth injury lawyer Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

$8.5 Million New Jersey Birth Injury Lawsuit Pays to Family of Brain Damaged Boy

July 7, 2011 by

July 7, 2011 – On August 14, 2005, Emily Ordonez of Bayonne, New Jersey went to Bayonne Medical Center after experiencing the first pangs of labor.  She arrived at 1:30 a.m. and all prenatal tests suggested that she would be delivering a healthy baby.  Ten hours later, her son Jose was born but something was wrong. The child suffered what would become permanent brain damage after being injured at birth.

Ordonez and her family sued the former owners of the hospital for the birth injury and have agreed to an $8.5 million birth injury settlement.   Insurance will pay the family $6 million to cover medical expenses and another $2.5 million for emotional and other damages. 

Jose Ordonez is now five years old and has a range of ailments.  He is blind, unable to hold his head up by himself, unable to walk and feeds through a straw.  He also suffers seizures.  His parents care for him 24 hours a day.  He suffered the brain damage after experiencing a sharp drop in his heart rate while still in the womb.  His umbilical cord was compressed, cutting him off from much needed oxygen. 

“Telephone records show the labor and delivery room nurse waited almost half an hour before calling the attending obstetrician and when he arrived from Staten Island 22 minutes later, he waited until 10:55 a.m. to start an emergency Cesarean section, a procedure that took four minutes,” the Jersey City birth injury lawyer who represented the family told NJ.com.

New Jersey may be home to cutting edge medicine, yet every year doctors, nurses and hospitals in the state are responsible for providing substandard healthcare to their patients, including newborns.  If you believe your child’s condition was due to a medical mistake, contact us for a free legal consultation with one of our New Jersey birth injury attorneys to find out how we may be able to help.

Filed Under: Birth Injury Attorney, Birth Injury Lawyer, Birth Injury News, New Jersey Birth Injury, New Jersey Birth Injury Lawyer Tagged With: , , , , ,

Woman with Birth Injury Graduates Magna Cum Laude

June 2, 2011 by
Woman with Birth Injury Graduates Magna Cum Laude

(Courtesy Photo)

Living with the day-to-day hardships that come with caring for a child with a birth injury such as cerebral palsy can be extremely trying at times. However, it is stories like this that make the difficult times easier to bear.

Twenty-six-year-old Brieana Jones was born with cerebral palsy that has left her physically disabled her entire life. Relegated to a wheelchair and unable to speak or use her limbs, Brieana uses a typing device that utilizes her head movements, while a light-sensitive keypad and a voice machine allows her to speak.

However, despite these disabilities, Brieana pushed ahead to pursue an education, studying at Life Pacific College, traveling to Africa, Israel, and London for missionary work, and learning how to write sermons and speak to younger generations.

After seven years of work, Brieana graduated May 7 magna cum laude as she received a bachelor’s degree in biblical studies as well as a minor in youth ministry. In receiving her degree, those around Brieana admitted to being impressed with her work ethic and drive to succeed, despite her physical disabilities.

“I know sometimes I tend to slack off a little bit, but I know Brie would kick me in the butt if she could,” Francisco Vazquez, an area resident who helped Briana with typing and research, according to The Press Enterprise.
Brieana is a shining example of how suffering a birth injury does not mean one cannot accomplish great things.

However, oftentimes substantial medical work is required to ensure that one with a birth injury can lead a healthy life, and lead to expensive medical bills as a result.

If you need money to help pay for mounting medical bills, and think your child’s birth injury was caused by medical error, contact a birth injury attorney at American Law Partners today to learn about any legal options you have that could result in a monetary settlement.

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Filed Under: Birth Defects News, Birth Injuries, Birth Injury Attorney, Birth Injury Attorneys, Birth Injury Lawyer, Birth Injury News Tagged With: , , ,

The Many Causes of Birth Injuries

June 1, 2011 by

 

(May 21, 2011)

The Many Causes of Birth Injuries

(courtesy photo)

A birth injury is described as a trauma inflicted on an infant during the process of birth. A birth injury can be caused from extreme pressure being applied to a baby passing through the birth canal, while other birth injuries can be caused by premature birth, prolonged labor, breech (legs exiting first) and the irregular shape or small size of the mother’s pelvis. Doctor and nurse negligence and medical malpractice are other reasons of child birth injuries that result in numerous birth injury lawsuit being filed yearly.

There are many different types of birth injuries such as swelling, bruising, forceps markings or fractures (known to occur during a breech birth) which are not considered to be serious or life threatening and heal typically within two or three weeks. It is believed that the loss of any nerve or muscular function caused by pressure, swelling, or bruising around the nerves to be temporary and will usually resolve itself within two weeks or up to a few months. Birth injuries such as facial paralysis are caused when excessive pressure is applied with forceps on the facial nerves during birth. The condition will gradually improve on its own if the nerve was simply bruised, but surgery may be required if a nerve is torn during the birth process. The birth defect know as cerebral palsy is a condition, or group of disorders, involving brain and nervous system functions affecting muscle movement, muscle tone, motor skills, learning, hearing, seeing and thinking caused by brain damage before, during or after childbirth . Erbs palsy is another birth injury that causes weakness or paralysis of the arm brought about by the pulling and stretching of nerves surrounding the shoulders during birth, excessive pulling on an infant’s arm, or pressure on the raised shoulders during a difficult breech delivery. If recovery does not occur within six months, surgery might be required to fix the nerve damage and the child will face a poor outlook for improvement.

If your child suffered from birth injuries, birth injury attorneys should be contacted to see if you are entitled to compensation.

Filed Under: Birth Injuries, Birth Injury Attorney, Birth Injury Attorneys, Birth Injury Lawyer, Birth Injury Lawyers, Birth Injury News, Cerebral Palsy Birth Injuries, Paxil Birth Defects Tagged With: , , , , ,

Birth Injury Studies Conducted in California Hospitals

May 26, 2011 by

( May 24, 2011)

Birth Injury Studies Conducted in California Hospitals

(Courtesy Photo)

The growing numbers of birth injuries in California hospitals have led to studies conducted to find out what is causing the increase. An example of one such study was commissioned by the California Hospital Association to find out what the percentage of birth injury lawsuits
were being paid by medical malpractice insurances, however, even though the exact amount was unclear, what was discovered was that 1 out of 20 patients seeking medical attention from hospitals were injured due to medical negligence and 1 out of every 10 patients died as a direct result. With these astonishing results, it leaves little reassurance for expecting California mothers who have made arrangements to deliver in a California hospital.

There are many factors that can lead to a birth injury
, some of them due to natural causes beyond anyone’s control while others are due to negligence on the medical facility’s part. Medical malpractice in birth injuries can be attributed to medical procedures that were not adhered to or as a lack of direct contribution from the attending doctors or staff. For example: failure to administer tests to detect abnormalities, signs of fetal or respiratory distress and not performing a Cesarean section within the required time frame. Two of the common birth injuries that can result from medical negligence are:

• cerebral palsy
- This condition usually occurs by injuries or abnormalities of the brain that is caused either before or after birth which is characterized by motor dysfunction, e.g. spasms and lack of muscular coordination.

• erbs palsy
(or brachial palsy) – A paralysis or weakness of the arm caused by stretching of the nerves around the shoulder during birth. This damage can be caused by excessive pulling on the arm during birth or by pressure on raised shoulders during a breech delivery.
Even though careful monitoring throughout all stages of pregnancy is important, following set hospital procedures and guidelines by all medical staff helps to ensure a successful delivery process for both the mother and the infant. If in the unfortunate event that your child received a birth injury due to medical negligence, you owe it to yourself and your loved ones to contact a reputable birth injury law firm
who has the experience and knowledge you need to need to determine if you have a case.

Filed Under: Birth Injuries, Birth Injury Attorney, Birth Injury Attorneys, Birth Injury Lawyer, Birth Injury Lawyers, Birth Injury News, Breaking News, California Birth Injury Attorney, California Birth Injury Attorneys, California Birth Injury Lawyer, California Birth Injury Lawyers, Cerebral Palsy Birth Injuries, Featured, Paxil Birth Defects Tagged With: , , , , ,