Shane Michael Urban

09/21/1977 to 09/11/1980

On September 6th, 1980, I was out of town and my girlfriend, who lived in the other unit of the duplex we were renting, was babysitting my children, Aimee, 4 1/2 months old, and Shane, almost 3. About an hour after I left, my son, Shane, became ill, vomiting and HIGH fever. She took his temperature, 106, which it could have been higher since a thermometer only goes up to 106. She called my pediatrician´s office several times. They told her that children get high temperatures and not to worry. (I don´t think 106 is a NORMAL high temperature for a child)

During one of those calls they told her that if he didn´t get better by Monday (this was a Saturday) to have me bring him to the doctor. They told her to give him a bath to bring down temperature, which she did but he didn´t get better. She also called the emergency room several times. She was frantic. They told her they wouldn´t treat him without parental consent. (Better to let him die than for them to have a possible malpractice on their hands I guess. Which wouldn´t have happened.) Apparently my sister showed up at my house and she drove him to the nearest emergency room. He was not conscious. At this point in time, for who knows what reason, our two hospitals were doing something that was strange. On certain days, one would take emergency calls, and the other days, it would be the other emergency room. Now, seriously, someone with a real medical emergency wouldn´t be thinking, OK, which hospital is open for emergencies today. Ridiculous! Besides the fact that there were medical personnel on duty in the emergency room at the hospital that wasn´t open for emergencies that day.

When I got back to town and found out he was at the hospital I went there. He was unconscious and No one was doing anything. They had taken his temperature. As far as I know, that´s all they did. Even though he was unconscious, they did not call a doctor in or even see if there was one in the hospital. They made me take him to the other hospital for emergency treatment. He never regained consciousness. He went into a coma shortly after we got to the 2nd hospital. That´s how far gone he was. It probably took me 5-10 minutes to reach the 2nd hospital. Miraculously, his doctor showed up at the 2nd hospital. He was probably called before that. They did a spinal tap and found meningitis.

My point though, he could of had food poisoning, appendicitis. WHO KNOWS? The doctor´s office and the emergency room should have reacted without thought, to their possible malpractice. These people took an oath to saving life as their objective. My son would most probably be alive if he´d received treatment hours before. My question is, Am I right or wrong? The medical profession is too concerned with the legal malpractice issues to provide life-supporting treatment. What a waste of healing talent. I´ve read too many stories where the child was sent home after being diagnosed with the flu.

Janet
Kansas