Makayla Thomas, a Texas mother, claims that a Dallas-area freestanding emergency room did not take timely action when her premature baby fell to the floor during vaginal births, leaving the newborn in a coma. Thomas, 26 weeks pregnant, arrived at Preston Hollow Emergency Room on June 29 with severe pain and bleeding. While she waited alone for a doctor, she went into labor, and the baby was delivered unexpectedly, landing on the floor still encased in the amniotic sac.
In videos taken by Thomas, ER staff can be seen responding to the baby, eventually cutting her out of the sac and attempting chest compressions. Thomas believes the delay in immediate care contributed to her daughter’s current vegetative state, saying, “I feel like they failed me.”
Freestanding ERs, like Preston Hollow, are independent facilities meant to provide a more convenient alternative to traditional ERs, but they sometimes lack the capacity to handle critical emergencies. Texas, which leads the country in the number of these facilities, has seen debates about their effectiveness in urgent, high-risk situations. Critics argue that, in severe emergencies, the transfer process from freestanding ERs to full-service hospitals can delay crucial care.
Thomas and her husband are now raising funds for their daughter’s ongoing medical needs through GoFundMe.