A family in Alabama is reeling after their son’s hospital admission was mistakenly flagged as being for “child abuse.”
The family is seeking damages for the emotional, psychological and financial harm they are feeling after their 5-year-old son was wrongly labeled as being in need of care after an incident at their home on June 26.
A family spokesperson told TMZ they were told by the hospital that their son had been placed on a waitlist for child abuse care, and that he was being evaluated.
The family had been told by staff that he needed to be hospitalized, but the hospital later told them that they were wrong, and he was indeed in need.
The spokesperson says that the hospital had not told them the reason for the mislabeling.
The spokesperson says the family is still waiting for a second opinion.
“They said, ‘Oh, we can’t make any more calls because he’s in our hospital,’ ” the spokesperson said.
“They said that he’s not in our system, and they were trying to call him back.”
The spokesperson said that the family has been devastated and the entire family has felt their hearts broken, and have been trying to help their son.
The family spokesperson says they were not able to reach the hospital to confirm the diagnosis.
The hospital has been contacted for comment.