A North Carolina family is still demanding answers and accountability from a dental office after a 2-year-old child suffered a medical emergency during a dental procedure and died.
The parents of 2-year-old Er’Mias Mitchell say they took their son to the Valleygate Dental Surgery Center in July for a simple cavity filling. Staff members conducted a health examination on the boy, checked his weight and height, and deemed him healthy enough to undergo the procedure.
The toddler was administered anesthesia during the operation, but at some point, complications arose.
While his parents patiently sat in the waiting room, staff members had called 911. They said they were unaware that the dental practice had called an ambulance until after EMS arrived and took their son to the hospital without them.
The parents said the nurses only told them that Er’Mias suffered a collapsed lung during surgery.
“We was like, ‘so where’s our son?’” Er’Mias’s father, David Mitchell, said in July. “He was already gone in the ambulance and we was like, ‘Why don’t you tell us?’”
Shortly after the child’s tragic death, Valley Dental Surgery Center CEO Virginia Jones said the center would investigate what happened during the procedure.
They also assured the public that their surgical staff includes board-certified and highly experienced physician anesthesiologists, certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), and nurses said they’re reviewing Er’Mias’ procedure.
“Since 2019, more than 13,000 patients have safely received care at our Greensboro ambulatory surgery center. While rare, complications can occur unexpectedly even under carefully controlled circumstances. We are actively reviewing yesterday’s circumstances in collaboration with all relevant agencies,” Jones said in a July 18 statement.
Now, more than two months after the child’s death, the family says they’ve gotten no closer to the truth of what happened during the surgery.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get closure, but I just want answers,” Er’Mias’ mother, Sharde Sherrill, said. “I think it will give me a little peace, because, at the end of the night, I’m like, what happened that day, what happened to my son, you know. We still waiting on the cause of death, but still, I just want to know what happened in that room.”
According to WXII, while Valleygate is licensed through the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the center does not possess a license, accreditation, or certification with the North Carolina Dental Board.
State dental board officials said they’d also be investigating.
In September, state inspectors determined that Valleygate violated 23 health and safety codes, which forced the facility to close several of its procedure rooms, some of which had been newly built.
Violations included fire safety issues, suspected leaks in vacuum lines, and improperly installed electrical wiring. According to WFMY, state documents reveal that the dental practice constructed three new procedure rooms and recovery bays without approval from the state.
It’s unclear whether Er’Mias’ surgery took place in one of those rooms.
Valleygate representatives said the issues have been addressed and the center is awaiting reinspection before reopening.
The dental practice has released no updates on their review of the 2-year-old’s cavity procedure. Greensboro police say their investigation is ongoing, and there are no new developments.
A GoFundMe set up in July to raise money for the 2-year-old’s burial expenses said Er’Mias was a “joyful, loving child—full of life, laughter, and endless curiosity.”
“The last thing I told my baby was we love you, and we’ll be out here waiting on you,” Sherrill said. “I don’t want him to think that we handed him off to somebody to harm him. No. That was never the case. Mommy did not know what was going on in that room.”