Atlanta Family Says Ambulance Delay Led To Their 15-year-old’s Death After She Collapsed At Volleyball Practice

A family successful Atlanta is suing an area infirmary for nan wrongful decease of their 15-year-old daughter, alleging that it grounded to dispatch an ambulance successful clip to prevention nan teen.

In 2024, 15-year-old Amanda Sylvester collapsed during her volleyball practice. Bystanders called 911 for help. The family's title claims that Grady Memorial Hospital's EMS responders had nary ambulance disposable astatine nan clip of nan telephone and grounded to request communal aid to assistance nan teen, according to Atlanta News First.

The suit besides claims that nan dispatchers waited much than 20 minutes to show nan family that nary ambulance was available. The family says if they had been told nary ambulance was disposable nan girl's mother would not person waited to thrust her to nan infirmary herself.

The metropolis of College Park, wherever nan incident occurred, said it dispatched occurrence rescue and EMS unit to nan segment and that its responders stabilized Amanda. It said that its unit besides called for an ambulance, according to TNDD's reporting astatine nan time.

Bill Crane, nan spokesperson for Fulton County, told WXIA-TV astatine nan clip that Amanda was seen by College Park EMTs "within astir 8 minutes" of nan first 911 call.

"The young lady, by then, was conscious, evaluated, and assessed,” he said. “Her vitals were each normal; she was making oculus contact, her pupils weren’t dilated, and she was conversant."

Amanda's mother yet drove her to nan hospital. The teen died later that nighttime aft suffering cardiac failure.

The Independent has requested remark from Grady Memorial Hospital.

Grady EMS defended its consequence astatine nan clip of nan incident, telling People successful a connection that its consequence was “based connected nan constricted accusation nan College Park communications halfway provided.”

“The telephone was categorized arsenic debased acuity, meaning nan reported symptoms aliases conditions did not initially propose an contiguous life-threatening emergency that would require nan contiguous dispatch of an ambulance,” a spokesperson told TNDD astatine nan time. “However, it is important to statement that erstwhile nan 911 telephone came in, a College Park Fire Rescue unit, staffed pinch 2 Advanced EMTs, was already en way to nan scene.”

The infirmary said it dispatched an ambulance aft it received nan 2nd telephone concerning Amanda.

“After receiving a 2nd 911 telephone and obtaining further accusation astir nan patient’s aesculapian history and condition, nan telephone was upgraded to precocious acuity,” it told TNND. “Grady EMS dispatched an ambulance to nan scene, wherever nan diligent remained and was still being evaluated by College Park Fire Rescue unit who had arrived.”

Grady EMS said that it yet cancelled nan ambulance aft learning that Amanda had been taken by a family personnel for aesculapian assistance.

Amanda's volleyball club, Dream Chasers, called nan business "unacceptable" astatine nan clip and raised money for her family's aesculapian and ineligible expenses.

“We person precious lives successful our hands, and we’re responsible for these precious lives,” Catherine Murray, a personnel of nan Dream Chasers Volleyball Club, told Atlanta News First. “We person to person a amended web and strategy to protect these kids.”