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A Maine mother has been awarded $25 million after a court found that her daughter’s leukemia was mistakenly diagnosed as a condition common in men who use steroids.
Jasmine ‘Jazzy’ Vincent, 15, initially fell ill on July 14, 2021. Her primary care physician first diagnosed her with pneumonia, as reported by WMTW.
Later, a doctor at Portland’s Mid Coast Medical Group misdiagnosed her with gynecomastia, a condition characterized by the enlargement of breast tissue, typically seen in men who take anabolic steroids.
Sadly, Vincent passed away from cardiac arrest on August 1, 2021, nearly three weeks after her symptoms began and just before her 16th birthday, according to her obituary.
It was revealed that her passing was due to a fluid buildup from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a pediatric cancer that is often treatable if identified promptly, according to the legal team representing her mother, Lyndsey Sutherland.
Sutherland pursued a wrongful death lawsuit against the medical center, citing negligence in the tragic loss of her daughter.
On Thursday, a jury sided in favor of the mother granting her $10 million for the wrongful death of Vincent and another $15 million for pain and suffering, her lawyer, Meryl Poulin said.
‘There are so many and yet so few words to capture the impact of this result,’ Poulin said in a press release.
Jasmine ‘Jazzy’ Vincent, 15, tragically died on August 1, 2021 from acute lymphoblastic leukemia after being misdiagnosed with gynecomastia, a disease commonly found in men
Her mother, Lyndsey Sutherland, sued Mid Coast Medical Group for the wrongful death of her daughter. On Thursday she was awarded $25 million after a jury found the health center negligent
‘Watching Lyndsey continue to push year after year, uphill, against the odds, to get justice for her daughter was beyond inspiring. This result was possible because of her unbelievable perseverance and determination to obtain justice for Jazzy.’
Ben Gideon, Sutherland’s other attorney, said he hopes the final decision will bring some sense of ‘peace and closure for the tragic loss of this beautiful, innocent 15- year-old girl’.
‘And I hope that it will send a clear message that Maine juries are willing to hold medical providers accountable when they fail to meet minimum standards of care,’ he added.
Throughout the trial, which kicked off in October, Sutherland’s legal team argued her daughter’s doctor at Mid Coast Medical Group did not review her medical history, did not run a complete set of vital signs on her and did not provide her with appropriate and standard care.
The practice also did not order imaging to look into her alarming symptoms, something ‘that would have revealed the true cause of Jazzy’s symptoms and led to life-saving treatment,’ the legal team said.
When she first brought her daughter into the medical center on July 26, 2021, Vincent had a series of ‘unusual’ symptoms, the law firm said.
‘Jazzy had developed enlarged, swollen, firm, and discolored breasts, along with visible distended veins across her chest and a prominent vein in her neck,’ the firm said.
The teen was also experiencing a worsening cough and shortness of breath, symptoms her primary doctor at Martin’s Point Health Care said was because of pneumonia. The facility was not named as a defendant in Sutherland’s lawsuit.
The defense said medical professionals are tasked with making hard decisions everyday and Mid Coast Medical Group (pictured) should not be punished over it
Vincent loved cheerleading, spending time with her sisters and nephew and helping her mother around the house. She died just weeks before her 16th birthday
On July 31, just five days after the initial consultation, Sutherland rushed her sick daughter to the emergency room after her symptoms worsened.
It was there that imaging revealed she had ‘a significant accumulation of fluid in her chest,’ attorneys said.
Vincent was immediately transferred to Maine Medical Center and admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit, where she died a day later.
While the prosecution argued Mid Coast Medical Group failed Vincent, the defense said medical professionals are tasked with making hard decisions everyday and they should not be punished over it, WMTW reported.
The defense also said blame should be placed on the late teen’s primary care center.
The Daily Mail contacted MaineHealth, which owns Mid Coast Medical Group and Martin’s Point Health Care, as well as Poulin for comment.
Shortly after her death, Sutherland created a GoFundMe page in honor of her daughter to help with her funeral and medical expenses.
She described her child as a ‘beautiful, fun-loving, outgoing young lady’ who ‘touched so many people’s lives.’
Vincent loved cheerleading, spending time with her sisters and nephew and helping her mother around the house, Sutherland said.
The teenager also enjoyed attending church and spending time in the water and sun, her obituary stated.
‘Jasmine had a sparkle in her eye that caught everyone’s attention, no matter where she went. She was the puzzle piece to the whole family and friends,’ it continued.