She had a "flesh eating" bacteremia. I have doubts (as an RN, nothing but general knowledge of the situation) she would have been "fine" if she'd been seen immediately. As fast as this kind of infection destroys tissue, perhaps she would have lost less than she did. If I were her mother, losing "part" of one hand instead of an entire hand and some of the other hand would have been "better"
but there's no way to know FOR SURE if more timely attention would have prevented any damage
The course of tissue destruction for flesh-eating bacteria has been much much WORSE in some cases, and not so destructive in others. Genetic factors as mentioned in the article -- beyond the "responsibility" of the medical staff -- are certainly a mitigating factor as well
I have mixed feelings about putting the blame on long ER wait times -- for THIS terrible incident. I have doubts this award is a positive precedent, unless it is simply given as a kindness to a person who will be quite disabled for the rest of her life.
If the cost of ongoing medical support were not so expensive, far beyond the ability of the average wage earner, maybe this kind of award would not be necessary?
That said, I am NOT a proponent of universal healthcare. I criticize the exorbitant cost of prosthetics and PT/OT and rehabilitation.
I don't have any answers
In the end, I'm glad this little girl and her family will have the money to purchase the EXPENSIVE therapies that will ease her life and increase the quality. I just hate to see the medical profession "blamed" for the natural behavior of a hellish bacteria we barely know how to treat.