A monthly inventory check discovered that the lab was still in possession of the body. The Minneapolis-based health system said in a statement that it is retraining staff on the process of handling fetal remains and switching to weekly checks on remains in its possession rather than monthly.
The lawsuit alleges that Fairview took weeks to notify the couple, and only after alerting the funeral homes first.
“It shouldn’t take days or weeks, it should be in minutes,” said Lee Hutton, the couple’s attorney.
The couple are spiritual and have been trying to start a family for years, Hutton said.
Ruelas, 27, had two prior unsuccessful pregnancies but was confident enough to name her baby as she approached her third trimester. She went to the hospital after a May 1 routine checkup when her clinicians couldn’t detect a fetal heartbeat. Keilani was born at 22 weeks gestation, when a typical fetus is about the size of a sweet potato.
The mishandling of Keilani’s remains has compounded the couple’s grief and delayed memorial plans, Hutton said.
