A 3-year-old, declared dead from dehydration, was discovered alive in her coffin the next day.
Her mother was shocked when she noticed the glass window of the coffin fogging up. People at the funeral tried to restrain the mom, thinking she was overwhelmed with stress and sadness and convinced her not to open the coffin. However, the girl’s grandmother ignored onlooker’s pleas and rushed to the coffin. She saw the girl’s eyes moving and found that she still had a pulse.
The child was rushed to the hospital, but unfortunately died from brain swelling. She was officially declared dead, for a second time.
The family of little Camila Roxana Martinez Mendoza is accusing the Salinas de Hidalgo Basic Community Hospital in Mexico of negligence and potentially malpractice.
The sad story started when the child was brought to her pediatrician in Villa de Ramos, August 17, due to vomiting and fever. The doctor told the family to take Camila to the hospital, to be treated for dehydration.
The hospital tried to lower the girl’s temperature and tested her oxygen levels. Camila was released with medication for pain and fever, but she deteriorated at home and was seen by another doctor who told her mother to feed her a light diet of fruit and water and prescribed another medication.
Because the child continued vomiting, she ended up in the emergency room and was admitted again to Salinas Hospital at night. The hospital attempted intravenous therapy but it was removed after a short time and the mother was told there was no hope for the child. “You have to let her rest in peace,” they told her.
Mrs. Mendoza says she was not allowed into the room where her daughter was taken, and the little girl was soon after declared dead from dehydration.
Camila was about to have her first day of school.
The case is being investigated by the State Attorney General and an autopsy is planned.
“What I really want is for justice to be served. I have no grudge against the doctors [who] went to extreme [measures],” Mrs. Mendoza said. “I only ask that the doctors, nurses and directors be changed so that it does not happen again.”
