Kentucky Accident Blog

Autistic Seattle Boy Died Due to Hospital Error

Autistic Boy Died Due to Atrocious Actions of Seattle Children’s Hospital-Kentucky Wrongful Death Attorney
DATE:     March 9, 2009
LOCATION:     Seattle, Washington
TYPE:    Seattle Children’s Hospital erred in prescribing pain killer to an autistic which caused his death.

We all remember the scene in It’s a Wonderful Life when young George Bailey prevented the grief stricken pharmacist from filling a prescription with the wrong drug.  George’s actions saved the patient’s life.  15-year-old Michael Blankenship was not as fortunate to have a “George Bailey”.

Michael Blankenship from an early age had been diagnosed with autism which left him unable to speak.  Due to his condition tasks we take for granted are a big deal for him.  Dental work is one of those tasks.  He checked into Children’s Hospital for a tooth extraction.  All went well; he was discharged to his mother’s care and was prescribed a fentanyl patch to help with the pain.  The patch was the highest dose of fentanyl available, usually used to relieve chronic pain in cancer patients and only to be prescribed to patients who have developed a tolerance for opium-derived painkillers.

The next morning after administering the patch Michael’s family found him unresponsive, paramedics were not able to revive him and he was pronounced dead on the scene.

As a non-medical professional I have no choice to put my trust in the hands of the medical professionals.  I assume the hospital I go to hires doctors who will not make fatal errors.  I assume the doctors I pay to see have my best interests in mind and will not be careless in my treatment.  I assume that the pharmacists who fill my prescriptions have the knowledge to question questionable prescriptions.

This is a devastating case but the one good result that has come from this is that Michael’s mother along with the Davis Law Group have created a foundation in Michael’s name for helping autistic children and increasing public knowledge on the disease.  In this day and age none of use should need a “George Bailey” to protect us and our loved ones.  What we do have are lawyers like Chris Davis in Seattle that will fight for our rights.