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Biological father of girl declared brain-dead sues hospital

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  • Jahi McMath. McMath’s estranged father, Milton McMath, filed a lawsuit Dec. 9 against the Oakland hospital and the doctor who performed the sleep apnea operation on his daughter. (AP Photo/Courtesy of McMath Family and Omari Sealey, File)

OAKLAND, Calif. » The biological father of a girl who remains on a ventilator to keep her heart beating after she was declared brain-dead nearly two years ago has sued an Oakland hospital and the doctor who performed a sleep apnea operation.

The Oakland Tribune reported Monday Jahi McMath’s estranged father, Milton McMath, filed the lawsuit Dec. 9, two years after his daughter had nose and throat surgery at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland.

A Children’s Hospital Oakland spokeswoman said the hospital had yet to be served with the latest lawsuit, and she declined to comment.

Jahi, who turned 17 this year, went into cardiac arrest after doctors removed her tonsils and adenoids during surgery in December 2013. Despite the Alameda County coroner issuing a death certificate, her mother insists she is alive and is keeping her in an undisclosed location in New Jersey.

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    • As a parent of a son that was judged to have a bad case of sleep apnea you are talking through your butt. My son had an operation in high school which made things better but the doctor waited til he matured.

      • If you had read the article from the Oakland Tribune, before speaking from YOUR butt, you would know her biological father had very little to do with her life. You would also learn that this isn’t the first lawsuit or dollar he has chased after. “…McMath was ordered to start paying $388 a month in child support,…” He’s just looking to cash in on this child’s unfortunate circumstance.

  • I’m not a doctor and can’t tell from the article whether the hospital was negligent or not. I just came to rant about parents who let their young children get so obese. I can only wonder if that contributed to the apnea.

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