A father has filed a wrongful death suit against Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio, alleging medical negligence contributed to his newborn's death after a fall.
The complaint was filed last week by Franklin County resident Tyler Peyton, who is suing the Columbus-based facility on behalf of himself and other next of kin following the March 2025 death of his 27-day-old daughter, Ellieana.
According to the filing, viewed by NTD, Ellieana was born on March 4, 2025, at the children's hospital and subsequently diagnosed with congenital dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition that affects the heart's ability to effectively pump blood.
She was transferred to the cardiothoracic intensive care unit, where doctors later deemed her "sufficiently stable" to be discharged by the end of the month.
However, the complaint alleges that on the evening of March 25, 2025, a patient care assistant left the baby's crib rail down while monitoring wires were still attached to a medical device stored in the healthcare professional's pocket.
"When the PCA moved away from the bedside, the tension on the wires pulled [the baby] over the open crib side, causing her to fall approximately three to four feet onto the floor," the complaint reads.
The filing alleges that a head CT scan performed almost two hours later revealed a skull fracture, scalp swelling, and bleeding around the brain.
"These injuries represented a traumatic brain injury in an infant with preexisting cardiomyopathy, placing [the baby] at significantly increased risk for circulatory instability, impaired organ perfusion, and hypoxic-ischemic injury," the complaint states.
According to the filing, Ellieana's condition deteriorated after the fall, with her blood pressure dropping, heart rate spiking, and heart function declining.
Her condition did not improve and she was pronounced dead on March 31, 2025.
Her official cause of death was listed as congenital dilated cardiomyopathy complicated by blunt-force head injuries sustained from a "fall from crib," the suit reads.
The complaint claims the hospital's care fell below acceptable medical standards and that those alleged failures directly contributed to Ellieana’s injury and death.
Peyton is seeking damages, including punitive compensation, attorney's fees, and other related costs, and has requested a trial by jury.
NTD reached out to Nationwide Children's Hospital and Peyton's attorney for comment, but responses were not received by publication time.
Ellieana was baptized on March 30, the day before her death, according to a Facebook post shared by a presumed friend or family member of the Peyton family.