Parenting babies is difficult. It takes most babies months to finally sleep through the night, often leaving parents sleep-deprived and exhausted. Some parents get frustrated when their children are fussy or crying when they are unable to determine what the baby wants or needs. It’s difficult to comfort your child when you know there is little you can do to help.

But what are parents supposed to do when they see someone harm their children, but they’re unable to undo the damage? Sadly, that’s the experience one mother recently endured. Veronica took her 3-month-old daughter to the hospital to treat the baby’s fever. However, just before the baby was ready to be discharged, a nurse’s serious mistake left the baby without a finger.

The nurse had a pair of scissors in her hand and leaned in to cut off the plastic intravenous tube attached to the baby’s hand. But she missed, and the scissors cut through the flesh and bone in the baby’s hand.

The baby’s pinky finger fell to the ground, and the nurse threw down the scissors and ran from the room screaming.

Other doctors rushed into the room and attempted to reattach the baby’s pinky, but it was too late. According to Veronica’s attorney, “The nerves were too delicate. The veins were too small.”

Veronica is suing the nurse and the hospital for negligence. According to the medical malpractice lawsuit, the nurse was negligent for trying to remove the tube with scissors and for failing to follow the appropriate safety procedures. The lawsuit also accuses the hospital of failing to train the nurses and for failing to supervise the nurse properly.

Veronica is asking for more than $15,000 in damages. Regardless of the amount of money that could be received in a lawsuit, it can never undo the permanent damage the nurse’s negligent mistake caused.

When the baby’s finger was cut off, the baby cried and cried, and Veronica was unable to comfort her. Now, Veronica wonders how she’ll explain the accident to her daughter. How do you tell a child that although other kids have ten fingers, you only have nine? Neither parents nor children should ever be placed in that situation. Now, Veronica is working to ensure other children do not suffer from the same mistake.

Source: Orlando Sentinel, “Polk mom’s lawsuit: Nurse cut off baby’s pinky,” Ray Reyes, Tampa Tribune, March 27, 2012