Georgia Family Gets $31 Million After Doctors Sever Child’s Penis During Circumcision

A Georgia family is getting a $31 million check after medical officials botched an 18-day-old’s circumcision.

Stacie Willis brought her 18-day-old son to Riverdale’s Life Cycle Pediatrics in Clayton County, Georgia back in October 2013 for her son to be circumcised. 

According to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, during the procedure the midwife Melissa Jones had an accidental slip and severed the top of the infant’s penis. Instead of moving him to emergency surgery, the staff sent the child home, bleeding reports show.

In order to keep his penis from closing, Willis said she had to insert an instrument into his penis. If medical officials would have proceeded with providing the family with surgical assistance to have the severed part reattached, the boy would have not endured several complications. The boy ended up having to get surgeries in Massachusetts and Minnesota, which have helped the now 5-year-old urinate more easily. The unidentified boy will also have a better chance at having children but he will have to undergo tests when he begins puberty.

According to Vibe.com, the attorney who represents the nurse midwife and doctor were found at fault and argued that $1 million was enough to take care of mental and physical damages that the boy will have to endure for his entire life. Willis’ attorney demanded $100 million for damages, saying the boy will struggle to find a mate. “It will take a special person to accept the boy’s deformity,” said their lawyer, Neal Pope. The court settled on $31 million.