Tyson Horton Story -- teenager living with medical errors (Part 1)
Long time Sorry Works! readers may remember Tyson Horton; we shared the story of Tyson and his parents back in 2016. A brief recap: At nine months old, Tyson needed surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his liver but surgeons at Oregon Health and Sciences University Medical Center (OHSU) made numerous medical errors that killed his liver and Tyson spent the next two years in and out hospitals fighting for his life. The attending surgeon admitted the errors to Tyson's parents, but a legal fight ensued that drug Tyson's family through the courts for seven years and to the doorstep of bankruptcy while OHSU claimed a legal "victory." The initial Sorry Works! post was created from news accounts about Tyson's case.
A little over three weeks ago, I received an email from Tyson's mom, Lori Spiesschaert. She had stumbled across the Sorry Works! blog post from 2016 and wanted to know if I would like to hear the rest of the story. Here are Lori's own words why she contacted me.
“I reached out to you because I wanted to share our experience with transparency and disclosure. Although they publicly expressed remorse for their mistake, OHSU’s apology was overshadowed by their continued refusal to take full financial responsibility for the bills we incurred as a result of the injuries Tyson sustained. It was hard enough to watch him struggle with complications for 2 years following his transplant, the 7 years we spent in a legal battle with OHSU continued to traumatize us, long after the physical scars had healed. All we wanted to do was focus on keeping Tyson healthy and alive; instead we were forced into a legal battle that we never wanted to be a part of.
I hope that in retelling Tyson’s story we can help influence a change in how these things are handled, not only by medical staff, but also by the hospital’s administration and legal team so that no more families have to suffer the way we did.”
I immediately replied "yes" to Lori's offer to talk. As of this publication, Lori and I have had three conversations. She has shared many details of trauma and heartache, and Lori wants Tyson's story told to medical, insurance, and legal professionals around the country. She wants people to learn from Tyson's story to improve healthcare and to teach the insurance and legal professionals who support healthcare organizations. In the coming weeks, Sorry Works! will share Lori's perspective on 1) the medical errors that nearly killed her son and 2) how the medical, insurance, and legal professionals approached this tragedy.
But, first, I want you to meet Tyson, as told by his Lori.
Tyson was seven years old when Sorry Works! first wrote about him and his family. Today, Tyson is a teenager, 13 years old, and wrapping up the seventh grade. Lori and Tyson are planning to go to Disney World this summer to do normal kid stuff and have fun. Like any teenager, Tyson drives him mom and his family but crazy, but, Lori is quick to add "that every day with Tyson is a miracle." He is a "boys boy" who enjoys riding his quad, fishing, walking in the woods, horses, and just being outside. Tyson would play his Nintendo Switch all day long if Lori let him, but he is limited to an hour each day. He also enjoys operating remote control cars. Lori says that Tyson has learning difficulties due to the medical errors and school is a struggle, but she is quick to stress that Tyson is a kind, smart boy who is a "good kid."
This is Tyson Horton. Tyson and his family have a story that can teach medical, insurance, and legal professionals. We hope you will remember Tyson the next time you are confronted by a medical error.
Next week you will learn about the medical errors that nearly ended Tyson's life.
Please share this e-newsletter/blog post -- along with posts to follow --- with colleagues and friends. This is a powerful story that can help so many medical, insurance, and legal professionals. Please help us spread the word. Thank you.
Sincerely,
- Doug
Doug Wojcieszak, MA, MS
Founder and President
Sorry Works, a 501c3 non-profit patient safety organization
618-559-8168 (direct dial)
doug@sorryworks.net
