Children's Hospital Takes Blame for Five Year Tragedy

Five years after a fungal infection took the lives of five children at a New Orleans hospital, representatives from the hospital are just contacting families now to inform them that their child likely died from a mucormycosis infection contracted from hospital linens.

Dr. John Heaton, the medical director for the New Orleans pediatric hospital Children's Hospital, reportedly called two families affected by the five-year-old tragedy on Thursday to personally inform them of the hospital's negligence regarding their child's death, according to the Associated Press and a The Times-Picayune report.

Heaton said in a hastily called press conference that he finds it "personally appalling" that this will likely be the first time these families have heard anything from the hospital within the last five years.

"It's become increasingly clear we did not make an extraordinary effort to communicate with our patients," Heaton said, admitting that many of the families likely heard about the fungal infection from the newspaper.

According to Children's Hospital representatives, the families of the other three children who died during the fungal infection will be receiving an apology letter from the hospital. Families of other children involved in the outbreak who did not die may also be contacted.

According to Heaton, the hospital currently has a policy of "full disclosure" to tell families of affected patients of any outbreaks of hospital-acquired infections, and they intend to uphold it.

Still, for many of the letter recipients, the Children's Hospital's efforts may be too little too late.

NOLA.com's The Times-Picayune was contacted by Cassandra Gee, a mother who spoke with them after learning about the 2008 mucormucosis outbreak. Gee believes her deceased son, Tyrel Caden Gee, may have been the first to die from the infection, as he died of a aggressive and unknown infection after being born prematurely at Children's Hospital around the time of the outbreak.

Gee told The Times-Picayune that a letter from the hospital will do nothing for her now. She also questioned how the hopsital could possibly find her to send this apology when they made no effort to find her five years ago.

The Children's Hospital held a televised press conference on April 17.