Town mourns child who died from traumatic brain injury

Children are admired for their ability to bounce back after suffering upheaval in their life. One little girl experienced several upsets in her short life and inspired many. Unfortunately, some things in life are not easily overcome, and a traumatic brain injury is clearly one of them. While this child did not reside in Massachusetts, it is possible that her death benefited someone who does.

One community recently held a public memorial to say good-bye to the child in its own way. She and her brother were only recently adopted by a local family after having entered the foster child system sometime in 2012. In spite of the challenges she faced, she was a well-loved member of her second-grade class and community at large.

On Oct. 1, the recently adopted 7-year-old was on a swing set at her school’s playground. She fell from the equipment, though apparently no one saw the accident . When she arrived home later that day, she complained of dizziness and was taken to the local hospital for evaluation.

Two days later after suffering what doctors diagnosed as a traumatic brain injury, she was removed from life support and passed away. The decision to donate her organs benefited the lives of 18 people. While her death was simply described as a tragic accident, her parents may want to know exactly what happened and may also question the apparent lack of supervision on the playground. If the gathered evidence suggests that her death was preventable, the family — just like Massachusetts families who have suffered similar losses — has the option of pursuing a wrongful death civil lawsuit against the party or parties deemed negligent. Doing so will not alter the tragic outcome, but a successful claim may ease the financial burdens that are inevitably intertwined in tragedies of this nature.

Source: columbian.com, “Vigil remembers girl, 7, who died of brain injury“, Patty Hastings, Oct. 8, 2014