A 61-year-old woman from Detroit is taking legal action after a catastrophic surgical error at a hospital where she once worked, alleging staff lost a section of her skull and later attempted to apologise with a $25 gas station gift card.
A Devastating Surgical Error
Edna Burton, a former employee of Ascension St. John Hospital, suffered a stroke in June 2023 and required emergency brain surgery at the very facility where she had worked for over twenty years. During a decompressive hemicraniectomy performed by Dr. Chin Yuen To on June 19, 2023, a piece of her skull, known as a bone flap, was removed to relieve swelling.
The surgeon's instructions were clear: the bone was to be preserved for reattachment once the swelling subsided. However, when Burton returned for the follow-up procedure on March 4, 2024, medical staff discovered the crucial piece of her own skull was missing.
'Insulting' Compensation and Life-Altering Consequences
According to a lawsuit filed by The Oliver Bell Group, the hospital admitted it had confused Burton's skull with that of another patient, a woman named Edna Brown. In place of her own bone, surgeons were forced to implant a prosthetic plate.
The family's anguish was compounded when, shortly after the blunder was revealed, hospital administrators offered a $25 gas station gift card as a gesture. The Burton family described this offer as 'insulting' and 'adding insult to injury.'
Since the implantation of the prosthetic, Burton's health has severely declined. Her daughter, Erica Burton, states she is now bed-bound, unable to talk or eat without a feeding tube, and requires round-the-clock care. 'She stopped talking, stopped eating, bed-bound, she has bed sores,' Erica told WDIV News.
Legal Battle for Accountability
The law firm representing the family asserts that Burton's life was 'forever changed' due to an 'avoidable and life-changing injury due to simple negligence.' Attorney Cameron Bell criticised the hospital's stance, stating, 'We think it's asinine that they're suggesting she's better off with the artificial skull compared to her natural God-given chunk of her skull.'
The lawsuit, which seeks damages exceeding $25,000, aims to secure full compensation for Burton's ongoing care. A spokesperson for Henry Ford Health, which assumed control of the hospital in 2024, said they could not comment on pending litigation but noted the alleged incident occurred before their management began.
Erica Burton emphasised the human cost, saying, 'It’s not even about the money. You don’t know what you took from us.'
