Medication Error in the Hospital Kills Two-Year Old Emily Jerry

Summary

The video recounts a heartbreaking and transformative journey of a father whose daughter, Emily, was diagnosed with a life-threatening tumor. After an unexpected turn of events, Emily's tumor disappeared miraculously, but a tragic medical error during her chemotherapy led to her untimely death. Devastated by this loss, the father channeled his grief into advocacy, founding the Emily Jerry Foundation. His mission is to prevent medical errors and save lives, working toward a future where no family suffers from such preventable tragedies.

Takeaways

• 😀 Emily Christine Jerry was born on February 24th, 2004, and had an early childhood filled with play with her siblings, Nate and Catherine.
• 😀 Emily started experiencing abdominal pain, which led her parents to take her to a pediatric facility for an MRI, where a grapefruit-sized mass was discovered in her abdomen.
• 😀 Doctors warned Emily's parents that she would likely lose weight, her hair, and experience vomiting due to treatment, but they remained hopeful for her recovery.
• 😀 After undergoing treatment, Emily's tumor completely disappeared, a miracle as described by her caregivers, with no residual scar tissue remaining.
• 😀 Despite the success of the treatment, Emily underwent a final round of chemotherapy to ensure there were no remaining cancer cells.
• 😀 A pharmacy error occurred when a technician mistakenly used hypertonic saline instead of standard saline for Emily's chemotherapy, leading to severe complications.
• 😀 After multiple EEG tests showed little to no brain activity, Emily's parents made the heartbreaking decision to take her off life support.
• 😀 The emotional weight of the situation was overwhelming for Emily's father, who experienced thoughts of despair, including considering ending his own life.
• 😀 Emily's father channeled his grief into advocacy, focusing on preventing medical errors and becoming a passionate voice for healthcare safety.
• 😀 Through the Emily Jerry Foundation, Emily's father strives to eliminate preventable medical errors, working towards the goal of zero preventable deaths in the United States.

Q & A

What initial symptoms did Emily exhibit that raised concern?

Emily occasionally stopped playing and grabbed her side, wincing in pain, which happened a few times during the afternoon. This raised concern and prompted her parents to take her for a check-up.

What was discovered during Emily's initial medical examination?

An MRI scan revealed a grapefruit-sized mass in Emily's abdomen, which led the doctors to prepare her family for the worst possible scenario.

How did the doctors prepare the family for Emily's treatment?

The doctors informed Emily's parents that she would likely lose a significant amount of weight, her beautiful blonde ringlets, and would experience symptoms such as vomiting due to the treatment.

What unexpected outcome occurred after Emily's treatment?

After a follow-up MRI, the doctors found that the tumor had completely disappeared, and there was no residual scar tissue, which was described as a miraculous recovery by the medical team.

What was the doctor's recommendation after Emily's tumor disappeared?

Despite the tumor disappearing, the doctors recommended one final round of chemotherapy to ensure that there were no remaining cancer cells.

What mistake occurred during Emily's chemotherapy treatment?

The pharmacy ran out of standard saline bags and mistakenly used a compounding bag with hypertonic saline at a high concentration (23.4%) as the base for Emily’s chemotherapy, which was an error.

What were the consequences of the pharmacy error during Emily's treatment?

The error resulted in Emily being unconscious, and after several EEG tests showed little to no brain activity, her parents had to make the heart-wrenching decision to take her off life support.

How did Emily’s father feel emotionally during this difficult time?

Emily's father struggled emotionally, experiencing dark thoughts such as contemplating jumping off the parking garage to join his daughter, a feeling he had never had before.

What decision did Emily’s father make after the loss of his daughter?

Emily's father decided to embark on a career focused on advocacy, specifically to prevent medical errors, believing that he was chosen to work toward finding solutions to these preventable tragedies.

What is the main goal of the Emily Jerry Foundation?

The Emily Jerry Foundation's main goal is to work towards preventing deaths caused by medical errors in the United States, striving to achieve zero preventable deaths.