Central Texas couple files complaint against Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest after loss of baby born prematurely
WACO, Texas (KWTX) - A Central Texas couple is looking for answers after their daughter was born four months early and did not survive, filing a complaint against Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest.
Earlier this year, Braylon and Christie Kelley moved to the Waco area with their five kids, finding out in July they would be having a sixth.
Everything seemed to be going well until they got a call from their OBGYN asking Christie to come in for an exam.
“When she went to the OBGYN at that time they said no we need to get her to emergency surgery,” Braylon recalled, “it was basically a simple cerclage, which pretty much sews up the cervix in order to ensure that the baby does not have early pre-term labor.”
Medical records provided by the family from that OBGYN visit confirm they were “counseled on the risks and benefits of attempting rescue cerclage” and that they “desire to move forward with evaluation for rescue cerclage.”
Braylon says at first the OBGYN recommended going to Austin for the surgery, but with the kids and his job, the Kelleys opted to go to a specialist at Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest instead.
“The expert there he said no it’s not needed, we don’t need the surgery and that we’re just going to monitor her for 24 hours and then we’ll release her,” Braylon shared.
An after-visit summary from the hospital shows Christie was discharged on the 25th with two prescription medications and instructions to follow up with the specialist later that week. But just three days later, on the 28th, she went into pre-term labor.
“I immediately called Baylor. I talked to a nurse directly that’s on the emergency side, spoke to her directly and said, ‘hey we’re about 10 minutes away, we’re going to need extreme help, please meet us at the ambulance bay,’” Braylon said, “I know that’s the quickest way cause I used to work in an ER and that’s the quickest way to get assistance.”
As they pulled in, he says, they were met by a security guard. He was shocked by the guard’s response as he frantically tried to get his wife care.
“He said, ‘I need you to move your F****** vehicle in order to get your wife some assistance.’ I said, ‘she’s in pre-term labor. She’s in danger. Can we get some help? He was like, ‘first move your vehicle then I can F****** think about giving your wife care,’” Braylon recalled.
While going back and forth with the security guard, Christie gave birth to her daughter in the car, who soon after passed away in her arms.
“I turned back around and said, ‘can I get some help?’ and finally the ambulance bays come out, and they start to come out to give us assistance,” Braylon said, “there was no attempt to even check on the child, there was no ‘hey let’s try to give CPR’, just immediately just put her on a gurney let’s get her out of here.”
Braylon explained that Christie was then taken into emergency surgery for internal bleeding and was in the hospital for four days. She says this whole situation has left them angry, confused, and most of all heartbroken.
“It’s been hard… it’s really hard having to explain to your other kids that their little sister’s no longer with them, and they were looking forward to having a little sister,” Christie shared.
After days of calling and emailing the hospital, asking for answers to their questions and action to be taken, they finally got a response from the hospital’s department of patient relations… informing them that they have facilitated a formal review and will share the findings or status within the next 30 days.
In a statement to KWTX Baylor Scott and White said:
“As always, our priority is our patients and their families. We are working directly with this family and have thoroughly reviewed concerns raised. Out of respect for privacy laws, we are unable to comment. There is nothing more important to us than providing safe, quality, compassionate care.”
But Braylon says they don’t want any other family to go through what they did, hoping their daughter’s story will make way for change.
“Her short life is going to affect change more than I could in my 30 something years,” he shared, “she will be someone that they’re gonna talk about and put things into place to ensure when somebody comes to Hillcrest or any other Baylor hospitals they’re going to think what and how to conduct themselves in an emergency.”
Braylon has filed a complaint with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and shared an email with us that confirmed to him they are looking into what happened.
When KWTX reached out to ask if the commission was conducting an investigation they said:
“All information compiled by HHSC concerning a complaint and/or investigation into a hospital is confidential under Texas Health & Safety Code Sec. 241.051(d)”.
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