EAST ST. LOUIS — A mother and father claim their baby suffered brain damage at birth due to a prolonged labor and delivery.
Na'Shau Rice, disabled minor by and through the guardian of her estate First Midwest Bank, Ashanté Willis and James Rice filed a complaint March 30 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against the United States of America, Alton Memorial Hospital, Southern Illinois Health Care Foundation Inc., and Olamide Kolade, M.D., alleging medical negligence.
The plaintiffs allege in their complaint that on Aug. 2, 2018, Willis was pregnant with Na"Shau and went to Alton Memorial to be induced into labor. According to their suit, Willis was placed on a fetal monitor and underwent a vaginal examination. Willis claims that on Aug. 12, 2018, she was given "Pitocin titration" for the remainder of her labor, which lasted until her vaginal delivery in the early morning hours of Aug. 13, 2018. The plaintiffs claim that their infant daughter Na'Shau required resuscitation following her birth and suffered "hypoxicischemic injury," causing her to have permanent brain damage, severe mental and motor disability and require medical and therapeutic treatments.
The plaintiffs allege the defendants were negligent in failing to give "intrauterine resuscitation measures," and failing to perform an earlier delivery through cesarean section.
The plaintiffs seek compensation of more than $50,000, plus interest, trial by jury and all other just relief. They are represented by Jack Beam, Matthew Patterson and Ryan Timoney of The Beam Legal Team LLC in Chicago.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois case number 3:21-CV-00342