Ethan Allen - Medical Negligence Claim

When you have a newborn baby your whole world usually revolves around watching this tiny human being grow and change before your very eyes. You cannot predict the future health and wellbeing of your child, unfortunately, major health issues can crop up and your world can change in an instant. In the case of the Allen family, it took eight months before an operation could be undertaken for Ethan's heart condition.

This is Ethan's story

When Ethan was eight months old, he went into surgery to correct his heart condition and everything seemed positive. He grew into a happy and healthy toddler, doing everything a kid his age should be doing. At around 18 months old, Ethan underwent another procedure to assess the function of his heart. During that procedure, he suffered a serious brain injury due to medical negligence. His heart rate slowed to the point that not enough blood was being pumped to the rest of his body, causing a lack of oxygen to his brain.

Watch Ethan's story as his dad explains the moment that Ethan’s life was irreversibly changed and his future took on a very different course.

Life would never be the same again for the Allen family

Ethan requires extensive full-time care and is reliant on his family to move him, wash him, feed him and care for him. He cannot speak or eat and has lost his sight.

Ethan’s brain injury has meant that he needed extensive care, equipment and support for the rest of his life which comes at a huge expense. His dad is now Ethan's full-time carer and can no longer work in his job prior to the negligence. Government-based schemes are not accessible to the full extent that was needed for Ethan, and due to the financial need this was creating, his parents had to work. This meant they couldn’t dedicate the time required to care for him due to the mounting financial pressure.

How Shine helped

The family came to Shine Lawyers when Ethan was seven years of age. Caring for a child with complex needs can become more challenging as a child grows older, and the family realised that they needed help. It was obvious from the outset how much love Ethan’s family have for him, and the commitment they were making to ensure that Ethan could live his best possible life.

Shine’s Medical Negligence team was able to help, and secure an outcome for Ethan that would allow him to be supported and fully cared for now and into the future. To ensure Ethan’s needs were fully met our team spent a lot of time with the family to fully understand what Ethan needed and what support or services may be available to the family in their local community.

Brighter future ahead

Ethan now has long-term access to the care, equipment and support that he needs which has gone a long way to relieving some of the pressure on his parents. The family now has the right equipment and a fully-modified vehicle to allow Ethan the freedom to go on family trips, as well as making attending medical appointments a lot easier.

Contact Shine Lawyers

Shine Lawyers are experts in the field of medical law. If you or a loved one has been impacted by deadly medical devices or any other form of medical negligence, you can talk to us about making a claim. Our lawyers work on a “no win, no fee” basis.