A College Park mother is grappling with the aftermath of a devastating misdiagnosis: her 5-year-old daughter was mistakenly reported by an urgent care clinic as having multiple sexually transmitted diseases.
This error triggered police and child welfare investigations before subsequent tests revealed the results were incorrect.
The mother, whose identity remains protected for privacy, stated that she took her daughter to the urgent care center in April due to illness. A urine sample was collected, and the shocking results profoundly impacted her family, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
“They told me they called me and when I went up there, they ended up telling me that she had trichomoniasis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and I knew right then that was incorrect because I protect my daughter,” the mother recounted.
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Following legal requirements, the urgent care center contacted both the police and the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services. The mother described the arrival of officers at her home as a terrifying experience.
“I couldn’t even breathe when they came to my house,” she said. “I was really thinking like they’re about to take my child away from me. I knew I was the best mom and nothing happened to her.”
Even though later tests at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and urgent care came back negative, the initial misdiagnosis took a toll.
“My daughter is 5 and you don’t want to put those kind of things on a five-year-old,” the mother said. “She’s still wondering why did that happen to her. Why did the doctor and the police come, why was she looked at down there?”
“I don’t want this to happen to anyone else,” stated the mother, explaining her reason for sharing her story.
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Meanwhile, attorney Stephen Fowler of The Fowler Firm announced that his team is looking into how the inaccurate results were managed.
“This case is still being investigated,” Fowler said. “We’re still looking for results and answers and responses, but what we’ve seen so far there is evidence of some serious concerns of the handling of this child’s healthcare.”
The family, according to Fowler, is currently exploring their options. “As of now, we’re seeking answers,” he said. “Then from there we want to ultimately get justice for this child.”
The urgent care facility, through its attorney, stated to Fox 5 Atlanta that it is “obligated to follow all laws ranging from protecting patient privacy to mandatory reporting requirements,” emphasizing that these laws are “put in place to protect all patients.”
The attorney further said that the urgent care utilizes a third-party lab for testing and later reports the results it receives.
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