A woman in another state initially thought she was doing the right thing when she donated her kidney to her grandmother. This is usually true since patients from Illinois and elsewhere are likely placed on waiting lists for donor transplants. However, just 11 months after the kidney transplant, her grandmother died. Now, the woman has filed a lawsuit for failure to diagnose and claims that the transplant should have never occurred in the first place.
A couple of years ago, the woman was considered a suitable candidate for a kidney transplant to her grandmother. The transplant was performed in Feb. 2013, but later on that year, it was revealed that the grandmother had multiple myeloma, which is a deadly terminal cancer. In January 2013, the 66-year-old grandmother died. A CAT scan that was conducted back in January 2012 showed that the grandmother may have had cancer and she should have never had the kidney transplant.
According to the lawsuit, the doctor was negligent by not reviewing the CAT scan prior to having the transplant performed. Furthermore, the transplant supposedly served no purpose to the grandmother since she was already suffering from terminal cancer. Reportedly, the plaintiff has faced financial loss as a result of medical expenses and lost wages. She also suffers from mental anguish and physical impairment.
Patients who are suffering from serious medical issues usually put their trust in medical professionals. Unfortunately, some medical professionals make diagnostic errors that can cause patients injuries and even death. In this case, an alleged unnecessary transplant was performed that left a woman without her grandmother and without her kidney. Illinois residents who have suffered due to a physician’s failure to diagnose may have the right to file medical malpractice claims against the attending doctor to receive some form of financial relief.
Source: wacotrib.com, “Granddaughter who donated kidney files malpractice suit“, Tommy Witherspoon, Aug. 9, 2014