The family of Sahana Ramesh has taken legal action against Seattle Children’s Hospital, alleging racial discrimination. They argue that the 16-year-old’s tragic passing in 2021 was the result of racism and staff negligence.
According to the Seattle Times, Sahana, a South Asian teenager, passed away on Feb. 12, 2021, from myocarditis, a serious condition characterized by inflammation around the heart muscle, impairing its function. Despite the family’s requests for a thorough medical evaluation, they claim Sahana was never tested for the condition and that they were never notified about the severity of her health, the lawsuit, filed by Sahana’s parents, Nalini and Anapathur Ramesh, states.
Sahana’s health crisis began in August 2020, after her family sought medical help at Seattle Children’s Hospital due to her recurring seizures. A neurologist prescribed lamotrigine to manage her seizures and underlying anxiety.
After taking the medication for several months, by mid-November, Sahana developed a painful and intense rash all over her body, accompanied by swelling in her hands, feet and face. Medical professionals at Seattle Children’s Hospital diagnosed Sahana with a rare illness called Drug Reaction With Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS). The condition, according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology, is a severe drug allergy with reported mortality rates ranging from 5% to 10%.
In their legal complaint, Sahana’s parents, Nalini, and Anapathur Ramesh, alleged that their daughter was never screened for the dangerous drug allergy or admitted to the hospital, despite it being flagged as “potentially life-threatening” in her medical records, King 5 Seattle noted. Furthermore, the couple claimed that cardiac-specific testing was not conducted, raising concerns about the adequacy of her care. Doctors noted in Sahana’s chart that heart failure and myocarditis were perilous consequences linked with DRESS.
Despite the diagnosis, the 16-year-old’s condition deteriorated rapidly. Her symptoms worsened, leading to multiple visits to the emergency room for three months straight. Each time, doctors declined to admit her, despite her frequent chills, fever, extreme pain, swelling face and elevated heart rate, the lawsuit noted.
During an exclusive interview with King 5 Seattle, Nalini revealed that she had contacted the hospital 16 times and emailed them 22 times, pleading with doctors to admit Sahana, but her cries fell on deaf ears.
“They didn’t seem to care. Why? That is what I need to know. Why didn’t you care?” she said.
Nalini and Anapathur firmly believe that if Sahana were white, and not of South Asian descent, she would have been provided with access to life-saving medical intervention. They initially filed their lawsuit against the hospital, citing negligence, in October 2022. Subsequently, they amended their complaint the following year, prompted by their legal team’s discovery of a recurring pattern of racial discrimination allegations within the hospital.
Dr. Benjamin Danielson raised the alarm about Seattle Children’s Hospital’s alleged racism before Sahana died from DRESS complications.
Coinciding with Ramesh’s diagnosis of DRESS by physicians at Seattle Children’s in November 2020, Dr. Benjamin Danielson, the former medical director of the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic at the hospital, resigned. Dr. Danielson attributed his departure to institutional racism and other concerns he deemed detrimental to the safety of patients of color.
In October, he filed a lawsuit against the hospital, alleging there were disparities in care for patients of color, such as Sahana. In response, the hospital allocated $1 million to hire experts and conducted an in-depth analysis of the issue. The findings confirmed that Seattle Children’s Hospital was complicit in perpetuating systemic racism.
Administrators pledged to take immediate and decisive action to eradicate racism within the institution, emphasizing the urgency of their commitment to fostering an environment of equality and inclusion at Seattle Children’s Hospital. They vowed to enhance health equity for patients, foster diversity and promote inclusion among the staff although it’s unclear if changes have been made.
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