Genetic illness claims lives of two sisters within three months

A Missouri couple lost two young children within a span of three months after they died of a rare genetic condition in 2016.

Now the parents are suing the hospital that treated one of their kids, a 13-month-old toddler, because they believe doctors could have saved her life, it was reported on Friday.

Susanne Michels and Michael Miles of Washington, Missouri filed suit against four doctors from St. Louis Children’s Hospital for allegedly failing to notice dangerously high levels of ammonia in their infant daughter’s blood, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

The lawsuit stems from the September 9, 2016 death of Stella Miles.

Stella Miles (left), a 13-month-old girl, died on September 9, 2016 from a rare genetic disorder. Three months later, her older sister, Nicole (right), 2, died from the same disease

The parents, Susanne Michels and Michael Miles (above) of Washington, Missouri, filed a lawsuit against St. Louis Children’s Hospital claiming that they failed to properly diagnose and treat Stella 

Eight days before she died, the parents brought the toddler to the hospital after she suffered a seizure at home and fell, losing consciousness.

Stella was experiencing ‘lethargy, [an] altered mental state, hyperammonemia, seizures, apnea, and arrhythmia,’ according to the lawsuit.

The parents alleged that the four doctors also named in the lawsuit – Amanda Kopydlowski, Cori DeSanto, Vanessa Mondestin, and Kwee Thio – failed in their job to properly diagnose and care for Stella.

Mondestin, DeSanto, and Kopydlowski are doctors in residency, which means they were undergoing specialty training after just finishing medical school.

Eight days before Stella (right) died, the parents brought the toddler to the hospital after she suffered a seizure at home and fell, losing consciousness

Stella (far right) was experiencing ‘lethargy, [an] altered mental state, hyperammonemia, seizures, apnea, and arrhythmia,’ according to the lawsuit

The parents alleged that the four doctors also named in the lawsuit – Amanda Kopydlowski, Cori DeSanto, Vanessa Mondestin, and Kwee Thio – failed in their job to properly diagnose and care for Stella

Two autopsies were performed on Stella. According to the family attorney, they both concluded that she died of high ammonia levels in her blood

Their residencies were being supervised by Thio, a certified neurologist.

‘She’s admitted to the hospital in bad shape, with an altered mental state,’ Michels’ lawyer, Burton Greenberg, said.

‘They run tests and find her ammonia level far exceeds the hospital’s scale, but they don’t treat it.’

The doctors are accused of failing to treat Stella’s abnormally high ammonia count as well as blood sugar levels.

Stella was released from the hospital without the doctors performing a genetic consultation or retesting her ammonia levels, according to the lawsuit.

After being admitted to the hospital on September 1, Stella was sent home three days later. She died five days after her discharge.

At the time of her death, Stella’s ammonia level was 1,242 micrograms per deciliter of blood, according to an autopsy whose results were cited in the lawsuit.

In a healthy child, a normal level of ammonia is between 11 and 35 micrograms per deciliter of blood.

Two autopsies were performed on Stella. According to Greenberg, they both concluded that she died of high ammonia levels.

The lawsuit states that Stella (right) was afflicted with a rare genetic disease – a urea cycle disorder – which slows down or stops the filtering of ammonia from the blood. Nicole (left) also was afflicted with the same illness

The lawsuit states that Stella was afflicted with a rare genetic disease – a urea cycle disorder – which slows down or stops the filtering of ammonia from the blood.

Excess ammonia in the blood can lead to brain damage or even death.

The disorder can be treated either with diet, medications, or, in extreme cases, a liver transplant.

The lawsuit alleges that the residents were permitted to treat Stella without adequate supervision.

Had the doctors acted properly, Stella would likely have been prescribed medication or put on dialysis, the lawsuit alleges.

Stella’s older sister, 2-year-old Nicole, also suffered from urea cycle disorder.

She died three months after Stella. Nicole had contracted viral encephalitis, Greenberg told the Post-Dispatch.

The lawsuit which was filed this week only pertains to Stella’s death while Nicole’s case continues to be investigated, according to the lawyer.

The parents are asking for damages in excess of $25,000.