An adorable two-year-old died after she endured an agonizing allergic reaction to fire ants, and now her parents have filed a lawsuit alleging that the hospital staff could’ve prevented their child’s tragic death.
Maya Getahun, 2, was rushed to the emergency room by her parents, Bethelhem Getu Hundie and Getahun Birhanu, on October 7, 2024 after she was bitten by ants while playing in her front yard.
Maya’s parents are now taking action against the hospital, Piedmont Eastside Medical Center, in Snellville, Georgia, a suburb outside of Atlanta.
The lawsuit, filed by attorneys at Bell Law Firm, alleged that the hospital staff waited over 20 minutes to administer epinephrine, a drug that is used to treat anaphylaxis or severe allergic reactions.
The lawsuit claimed that the hospital staff recognized that Maya was in need of the life-saving drug, but still waited to administer it, causing her condition to worsen.
On top of the staff’s alleged delay, the physician treating Maya, Dr. Richisa Salazar, was accused of not knowing that the hospital didn’t have the necessary equipment to treat the toddler.
The lawsuit alleges that once Salazar attempted to intubate Maya, she realized the hospital didn’t have the tools to do so and the toddler’s life began to slip away.
‘Maya’s parents looked on helplessly as their daughter slowly died from lack of oxygen,’ the lawsuit states.
Maya received treatment at Piedmont Eastside Medical Center in Snelville. Her parents are now alleging that she would’ve survived if hospital staff acted sooner in administering a life-saving drug and checking if they had the proper equipment to intubate her
Even though fire ants are typically not deadly, Maya’s severe allergy to the ants resulted in her medical emergency
Piedmont Healthcare, Inc., Piedmont Eastside Hospital, Inc., Eastside Medical Center LLC, and Dr. Salazar are listed as defendants in the case.
The lawsuit accused the defendants of professional negligence that resulted in Maya’s ‘preventable’ death.
Maya’s attending nurse, Roshayla Bracely, was also accused of negligence in the lawsuit for failing to administer the epinephrine.
The lawsuit cites two expert witnesses, Dr. Ann M. Dietrich and Registered Nurse Leslie Boyd.
Lloyd Bell, a founding partner at the law firm representing Maya’s parents, said in a press release that the toddler’s death was ‘100% preventable’ and that the child would still be alive if hospital staff administered epinephrine or intubated her sooner.
Bell also noted that the Salazar has been named in two other medical malpractice cases filed by the firm.
In November, 2023, Salazar was named in a lawsuit for medical malpractice when providing care to a 53-year-old man named Waymon Storey while she was working at Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center in 2021.
Storey had been involved in a crash but sustained no life-threatening injuries. He arrived at the hospital with chest trauma and difficulty breathing.
Maya was bitten by the ants while playing in her backyard and her parents claim that she would’ve survived the reaction if hospital staff didn’t wait 20 minutes to give her a life-saving drug
Bell Law Firm wrote in a press release that the physician named in the lawsuit, Dr. Richisa Salazar, was accused of two other medical malpractice cases filed by the firm
The lawsuit alleged that Storey clearly needed assisted ventilation, but Salazar didn’t recognize the risk of respiratory failure, and he died after experiencing hypoxic arrest.
The case is ongoing and currently awaiting a trial date.
In January, 2015, Dr. Salazar, whose last name was Johnson at the time, was named in another negligence lawsuit after a woman named Jennifer Barnett who received care at the Atlanta Medical Center in 2013, according to a lawsuit.
Salazar was cleared of responsibility by a jury last October.
Bell Law said it was ‘particularly concerning’ that Salazar had been named in the two other medical malpractice lawsuits filed by the film.
‘Patterns of negligence like this must be exposed and addressed,’ Lloyd Bell continued in the press release.
‘No family should ever experience the heartbreak of losing a child due to a hospital’s lack of preparation, especially for something as foreseeable as an allergic reaction.’
‘Our goal is to obtain full justice for Maya and help ensure that what happened to Maya never happens to another child,’ Lloyd Bell concluded.
Maya’s parents are seeking full justice in damages, in addition to legal fees, to be determined by a jury.
DailyMail.com reached out to Piedmont Eastside Medical Center and Bell Law firm for comment but didn’t immediately hear back.