Saturday, May 18

8-year-old woman sought medical assist 3 instances on day she died, U.S. immigration officers say

HARLINGEN, Texas — An 8-year-old woman who died final week in Border Patrol custody was seen no less than three separate instances by medical personnel on the day of her loss of life – complaining of vomiting, a stomachache and later struggling what gave the impression to be a seizure – earlier than she was taken to a hospital, U.S. immigration officers mentioned Sunday.

The woman’s mom had beforehand instructed The Associated Press that brokers had repeatedly ignored her pleas to hospitalize her medically fragile daughter, who had a historical past of coronary heart issues and sick cell anemia. Anadith Tanay Reyes Alvarez, whose mother and father are Honduran, was born in Panama with congenital coronary heart illness.

“She cried and begged for her life, and they ignored her. They didn’t do anything for her,” Mabel Alvarez Benedicks, the mom of Anadith, had beforehand instructed The Associated Press throughout an interview Friday.

In an announcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection mentioned it knew concerning the woman’s medical historical past when personnel started treating her for influenza 4 days earlier than her loss of life on May 17.

CBP Acting Commissioner Troy Miller mentioned in an announcement that whereas his company awaits the outcomes of an inside investigation, he has ordered a number of steps be taken to make sure acceptable look after all medically fragile folks in his company’s custody.

These actions embody reviewing instances of all identified medically fragile people at the moment in custody to make sure their time being held is proscribed and analyzing medical-care practices at CBP amenities to see if extra personnel are wanted.

“We must ensure that medically fragile individuals receive the best possible care and spend the minimum amount of time possible in CBP custody,” Miller mentioned, including his company is “deeply saddened” by the woman’s “tragic death.”

Anadith’s loss of life has raised questions on whether or not the Border Patrol correctly dealt with the state of affairs. It was the second baby migrant loss of life in two weeks in U.S. authorities custody after a rush of unlawful border crossings amid the expiration of pandemic-related asylum limits referred to as Title 42 severely strained holding amenities.

According to a CBP assertion, Anadith had first voiced complaints of stomach ache, nasal congestion, and cough on the afternoon of May 14. She had a temperature of 101.8 levels Fahrenheit.

After a take a look at confirmed she had influenza, Anadith was given acetaminophen, ibuprofen, drugs for nausea and Tamiflu, a flu remedy, in keeping with CBP.

The household was then transferred from a facility in Donna, Texas, to 1 in Harlingen, Texas.

She continued to be given Tamiflu for the following two days. She was additionally given ibuprofen, in keeping with CBP.

Alvarez Benedicks had instructed the AP her daughter’s well being bought progressively worse throughout these days and that medical doctors on the station denied her repeated requests for an ambulance to take the woman to a hospital.

“I felt like they didn’t believe me,” Alvarez Benedicks mentioned.

On May 17, the woman and her mom went to the Harlingen Border Patrol Station’s medical unit no less than 3 times, CBP mentioned. In the primary go to, Anadith complained of vomiting. In the second, she baby complained of a stomachache. By the third go to at 1:55 p.m., “the mother was carrying the girl who appeared to be having a seizure, after which records indicate the child became unresponsive,” in keeping with CBP.

Medical personnel started performing CPR earlier than she was taken to a hospital in Harlingen, the place she was pronounced useless at 2:50 p.m.

A health worker is ready for extra exams earlier than figuring out a explanation for loss of life.

Her loss of life got here every week after a 17-year-old Honduran boy, Ángel Eduardo Maradiaga Espinoza, died in U.S. Health and Human Services Department custody. He was touring alone.

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