Parents Sue Oregon Hospital for $10 Million, Alleging They Were Told to Drive Their Dead Baby Home

A Washington couple is suing an Oregon hospital for $10 million, alleging they were left to transport the body of their deceased infant son back to Seattle in their personal vehicle after he died in the hospital’s emergency room in September 2024.

Aleksandr and Nataliya Yeremeyev were attending a Christian retreat in Salem, Oregon, when their 8-month-old son, Michael, developed shallow and rapid breathing. The parents rushed him to Salem Hospital in the early hours of September 22, but despite lifesaving efforts, Michael died in the emergency department at about 2:44 a.m., according to the lawsuit.

Michael was born with Down syndrome and other significant health conditions. According to the complaint, he had spent the first six months of his life in a hospital before the family was finally able to take him home. The Oregon trip was reportedly one of the family’s first outings together.

After Michael’s death, the parents say they repeatedly asked hospital staff how they could arrange respectful transportation of their son’s remains back to Seattle. The lawsuit alleges that staff did not provide a workable funeral-home transportation option and told the family that professional transportation would be too expensive.

The complaint further alleges that the parents were eventually told to take Michael’s body with them in their own vehicle for the approximately four-hour drive to Seattle. When they expressed concern about what would happen to his body during the trip, they say hospital staff advised them to place him flat across the back seat with a blanket.

The family also alleges that the hospital could not provide the paperwork they believed was necessary for transporting Michael’s remains across state lines. Instead, they say a doctor gave them a handwritten note on a prescription pad confirming that the child had died at the hospital.

According to the complaint, Aleksandr then drove approximately four hours from Salem to Seattle with his son’s body in the back of the vehicle. During the journey, the lawsuit says, he feared being stopped by police or getting into a crash while also worrying about the deterioration of his child’s body.

The complaint alleges that the experience became even more distressing when bodily fluids leaked onto the vehicle’s back seat. After arriving in Seattle, Aleksandr reportedly had to clean the vehicle while the family made arrangements with a funeral home.

The Yeremeyevs are seeking approximately $10 million in noneconomic damages, alleging negligence, emotional distress and failures in the handling and transportation of their son’s remains. Their attorneys say the lawsuit is intended not only to seek compensation but also to raise questions about the hospital’s procedures for supporting grieving families after the death of a child.

Salem Health has declined to discuss the specifics of the case because it is now in litigation. In a statement, the hospital said it responded according to the family’s wishes and followed hospital policy and Oregon law while consulting appropriate authorities.

For Aleksandr and Nataliya, the lawsuit describes a devastating loss that was followed by what they allege was an overwhelming and traumatic experience. The case remains pending, and the allegations have not been proven in court.

Source: NY Post