Amy’s Story: Erroneous Blood Test Alters Their Lives
Tuesday, May 19, 2015 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] My name is Amy Clark. Shortly after my first son, Brandon, was born I noticed he wasn’t meeting developmental milestones. He was showing severe developmental delays. As he got, he couldn’t speak and was excessively happy. Brandon was diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome, a rare neuro-genetic disorder. After genetic testing, I was told Brandon’s form of Angelman Syndrome was spontaneous and not hereditary. Brandon’s condition required so much of my time and attention I wanted to be 100 percent positive his condition was not hereditary before I thought about having another child. I sought a second opinion and was assured the initial tests were negative. I was told I had a less than 1 percent chance of conceiving another child with Angelman Syndrome. Our second son, Timothy, began showing the same symptoms of Angelman Syndrome that Brandon had. I sought answers and discovered my original genetic tests were not negative. The doctors were wrong, I indeed tested positive for the hereditary genetic mutation. This meant I had a 50 percent chance of having a child with Angelman Syndrome. Because of the doctors’ mistakes, I now have two disabled children who demand 100 percent of my time and attention. The civil justice system in Illinois allowed me to hold the doctors accountable for their mistakes. I cannot work, because it’s impossible to find someone to care for the boys. My life is not normal by any means, and my settlement did not place me in the lap of luxury. I needed my settlement to survive, pay the bills and to put food on the table. I didn’t win a jackpot—I obtained justice. Trust me, I’d give it all back to have that big, healthy family I always wanted. To read more of Amy’s story, click here.
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