Atlanta area doctor, hospital sued after baby allegedly decapitated during birth

Clayton County doctor, hospital sued after baby allegedly decapitated during birth

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. (WUPA) – A metro Atlanta doctor and a Clayton County hospital are facing a lawsuit after the delivery of a baby in July that went horribly wrong. 

On Wednesday, attorneys representing Jessica Ross and her boyfriend, Treveon Taylor, described what happened during the delivery of the couple's son at Southern Regional Medical Center on July 9. 

"When the womb was opened, the feet came out, the body came out, and there was no head," said Dr. Roderick Edmond, one of the couple's lawyers. "Dr. St. Julian came in, and she, in the process of trying to deliver the baby, pulled on the baby's head and neck so hard, and manipulated them so hard, that the bones of the baby's skull, face, and neck were broken."  

The couple is now suing Dr. Tracey St. Julian, along with the hospital and several nurses involved in the delivery. They are being accused of gross negligence and covering up what happened.

"The healthcare providers at Southern Regional Hospital, after the horrific incident told them these things and then tried to hide what actually happened," said Cory Lynch, another attorney representing the couple.  

Edmond provided additional, and even more disturbing details about what happened in the delivery room. 

"When they wrapped this baby up tightly, they propped the baby's head up on top of the blanket to make it appear that the baby's head was attached, when it wasn't," he said.  

According to the attorneys, St. Julian and the medical staff at the hospital failed to report the grisly incident to law enforcement. Instead, they allowed the couple to find out about the alleged decapitation from the funeral home. 

"It wasn't until then that Dr. St. Julian told the family what actually happened. Up to that point, they had encouraged the family to, you know, hey, just have a cremation done," Lynch said. "Their dreams and hopes turned into a nightmare."

When contacted by Now News, Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare Services, the system that owns Southern Regional Medical Center, released a statement citing patient privacy laws and HIPAA regulations, preventing them from discussing the care of specific patients. 

The statement went on to say, in part: 

"Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the family and all those impacted by this tragic event. Our prayers also remain with the dedicated team of physicians, nurses and staff at Southern Regional Medical Center who cared for this patient.

While our sympathies go out to the family, Southern Regional Medical Center denies the allegations in the Complaint referencing the hospital. Since this matter is in litigation, we cannot provide additional statements.

As far as Dr. St Julian, she is not an employee of the hospital. The hospital has taken the appropriate steps in response to this unfortunate situation."

During their press conference on Wednesday, the attorneys for the couple said they plan to press forward with their case against the hospital and medical staff. 

"We're going to put all of these people who were in the room under oath and find out what they have to say specifically about what happened that tragic, tragic evening," Edmond said.

The attorneys said Clayton County Police and the Medical Examiner's office are investigating the case. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has confirmed that while it has not launched an investigation, it did perform an autopsy in the case.

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• Georgia