
An Arapahoe County jury has awarded a $17.8 million malpractice verdict against Children’s Hospital Colorado after finding the hospital’s staff responsible for giving the wrong dose of medication to a 4-day-old girl.
In February 2008, Naomi Pressey was scheduled for surgery to repair a common congenital heart defect. However, the girl went into cardiac arrest on the operating table and doctors were unable to resuscitate her for 33 minutes, according to a news release from the Leventhal Puga law firm, which represented the family.
The accident caused a brain injury, which resulted in cerebral palsy and other severe medical problems, the release said. Naomi, now 7, suffers from significant intellectual disability, cognitive impairment and motor skill impairment, the law firm said. She will require a lifetime of around-the-clock medical care.
Children’s Hospital issued a statement Friday, saying: “We are sorry that the Pressey family suffered this unfortunate outcome seven years ago with their child. And while we will not comment on the specifics of the recent case, we respectfully believe there are grounds to appeal the outcome.”
The Leventhal Puga firm said the verdict is the largest medical malpractice award ever handed out by a Colorado jury. The verdict was delivered March 27.
“No family should have to go through what we’ve had to endure,” Jennifer Pressey, Naomi’s mother, said in a statement. “Our family has experienced incredible pain throughout this very difficult situation.”
Naomi was born Feb. 6, 2008, in Colorado Springs. She was transferred to Children’s Hospital after being diagnosed with the heart defect. She was required to be on the medication until her surgery.

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