Lawsuit: St. ph Hospital mold kills three children

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_http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/article973023.ece_

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TampaBay.com

Lawsuit: St. ph's Hospital mold killed three children

By _Colleen _ (http://www.tampabay.com/writers/article380976.ece) ,

Times Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, February 3, 2009

____________________________________

TAMPA — Three pediatric oncology patients died within a month of one another

at St. ph's Hospital last spring.

According to a lawsuit filed today, cancer didn't kill them.

Instead, says attorney Steve Yerrid, the children were exposed to mold

released during a construction project at the hospital. The mold caused fatal

infections, the lawsuit said.

A hospital spokeswoman was unable to immediately respond to the allegations.

The court document details the sad fates of the three children.

Mathew Gliddon died April 16 at age 5. The child suffered from acute

lymphoblastic leukemia. A pathologist said he died as the result of chemotherapy

and

fungi infection, the lawsuit said.

Sierra Kesler died May 3 at age 9. Her cause of death was listed as fungal

pneumonia with underlying acute lymphoblastic leukemia, according to the

lawsuit.

Kaylie Gunn-Rimes died May 13 at age 2. She had been off chemotherapy and was

cancer-free for six months before her death, the lawsuit said. But after

being exposed to mold, she developed a massive fungal infection in her lungs

that killed her, the suit said.

Yerrid spoke on behalf of the families today.

" They know that the system can never bring back their children, " he said.

" But they know that the system can deliver safety for other children. "

The attorney could not say if there were other victims.

The lawsuit says the hospital failed to properly protect the young patients

during the renovation work and contends that officials should have known it

would generate moderate to high levels of dust.

" There are simple protocols that should and could have been followed, " Yerrid

said.

Colleen can be reached at cjenkins@... or (813) 226-3337.

© 2009 • • St. sburg Times

490 First Avenue South • St. sburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

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