Family alleges negligence in death of 4-y-o, Bustamante hospital undertaking probe

The family of four-year-old Alexandrianna Jones wants the administration of the Bustamante Hospital for Children to be held accountable for alleged negligence, claiming that the hospital took nearly two weeks to notify them of her death following surgery.

In a statement today, the hospital said it has launched an internal investigation to review the circumstances surrounding the case. Sues-shuana Watson, Jones' aunt, told The Gleaner that the child became ill in April and had been visiting the children's clinic at the hospital.

She said her niece had developed crossed eyes and had been vomiting frequently.

In December, she was reportedly referred for an MRI, which allegedly revealed that she had a tumour at the back of her head and fluid at the top. Watson said the fluid was pressing on the tumour, which caused pressure on the child's spine.

An emergency surgery was recommended and carried out on December 17.

Watson said the family was informed that the surgery was successful and that the entire tumour had been removed. However, according to her, they were told that Jones needed to be sedated for 48 hours to allow the swelling to dissipate.

That same night, Watson revealed, the family was informed of complications: the shunt used in Jones' surgery had become blocked, causing a buildup of fluid in her brain. Another operation was performed to drain the fluid.

Watson said she was informed that Jones was barely responsive after this procedure.

“She (the doctor) was telling us that we needed to pray, stimulate her, talk to her so that she could sense some form of similarity, because it was like she went into a coma after that. That's what they were saying,” Watson said.

She said the hospital pronounced her niece brain dead on December 31, and she was removed from the life support machine.

However, Watson said an independent autopsy commissioned by the family revealed that her niece had died from blood clots hours after the surgery on December 17.

“Basically, we were actually talking to a dead baby over the period of time between the 17th, the 18th, to the 30th,” she said.

Watson stated that the hospital was reluctant to release Jones' body to the family, initially telling them it would take two weeks and discouraging them from conducting an autopsy.

The family has since been in meetings with the hospital to address the findings of the independent autopsy.

The Bustamante Hospital, in the statement, said it had already contacted the family involved, offering guidance on the matter.

“The family has been encouraged to submit a formal written complaint to facilitate a meeting with the relevant hospital teams to address their concerns directly,” it said.

The hospital further stated that it is committed to ensuring the highest standards of care and patient safety while taking all concerns seriously.

It added that it would continue to work closely with the family and relevant authorities to resolve the matter in a transparent and timely manner.

Meanwhile, Watson described the loss as devastating for the family, remembering Jones as a fun-loving, brilliant, and kind child who enjoyed dancing, watching videos on TikTok, and had a passion for fashion.

“We want the persons to be held accountable so that something like this never reoccurs again with any other parent. Nobody should have to go through this type of pain,” she said.

- Sashana Small 

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