A 3-year-old girl woke up during her funeral before being officially declared dead after doctors mistakenly presumed her dead the first time.
The family of Camila Roxana Martinez Mendoza is accusing the Salinas de Hidalgo Basic Community Hospital of negligence after reportedly declaring the toddler dead too soon.
The young girl was experiencing stomach pains, vomiting, and fever when her mother, Mary Jane Mendoza, took her to see a pediatrician in the family's hometown of Villa de Ramos on Aug. 17, El Universal newspaper reported.
The doctor escalated the issue and recommended that the child be taken to the hospital in the central Mexican state of San Luis Potosí to be treated for dehydration.
Doctors at Salinas de Hidalgo Basic Community Hospital placed a cold towel over her little body to lower her body temperature and placed a pulse oximeter on one of her fingers to keep track of her oxygen levels.
Camila was released from the hospital with a prescription for paracetamol — which treats pain and fever — but continued to deteriorate as the day continued. She was seen by another doctor who instructed her mother to feed her fruits and water and prescribed a different medication.
Despite the medications and advice from medical experts, the toddler continued vomiting. Her worried parents took her to see another doctor, who suggested she be rushed to the emergency room.
Camila was readmitted to Salinas between 9 and 10 p.m., and doctors worked to help the young girl.
"They wanted to give her (intravenous therapy). They took a long time to put oxygen on her," her mother said. "They didn't put it on her because they couldn't find her little veins; finally, a nurse managed it."
After about 10 minutes, the IV was removed from the little girl, who was then taken away to rest. "She still was hugging me, they took her away and told me, 'You have to let her rest in peace.'" the grieving mother remembered.
