Nathan’s Story
(In 2007, an Iowa jury awarded Nathan and Deborah $13.5 million, believed to be the largest award in a birth injury case in the state’s history.)
By Nathan’s mother, Deborah:
“My son can’t walk, talk, sit up or use his hands, but he’s exceptionally bright. He smiles all the time. He’s happy. And he’s the highlight of my life.
I was 22 when Nathan was born five years ago. My pregnancy was normal, but then my due date came and went. Two weeks later doctors decided to induce. The next day they decided to do a C-section. That’s when everything started going wrong. The spinal anesthetic caused my blood pressure to drop, then the incision wasn’t big enough. They tried the vacuum three or four times. They made the incision bigger and cut through things they shouldn’t have. I started hemorrhaging. I remember seeing a first year resident pass out against the wall. All the while they weren’t monitoring Nathan’s heart beat. They didn’t know he was in trouble.