Dallas Couple Says This Shocking Act by a Doctor Led to Their 1-Day-Old’s Death

Prime Perkins was born in April of 2024, but only lived 24 hours before he took his last breath, leaving his parents to grieve a devastating loss. However, what’s more heartbreaking is what they claim happened to their newborn before his death. And it was enough to warrant legal action. 

Darryl Perkins and his wife, Emerald Giles-Perkins, filed a lawsuit against Methodist Dallas Medical Center and OB-GYN Theresa Patton for their alleged role in their 1-day-old son’s death. The suit says Emerald had a flawless pregnancy up until experiencing complications at birth. Her labor seemed to pause hours following her water breaking which resulted in medical staff resorting to measures to get the ball rolling. 

The suit alleges Dr. Patton used a widely criticized vacuum device that attaches a suction cup to the baby’s head to help pull the infant out of the birth canal as the mother pushes. The suit claims Patton used the divide four times, but to no avail, leading to an ultimate C-section delivery. 

However, Prime was immediately taken to intensive care and appeared to be “deteriorating.” Staff told the Perkins the baby contracted an infection from Emerald, the suit says. Mr. Perkins told The Dallas Morning News he remembered the moment his wife was wheeled to the NICU to see her son for the last time just one day after he was born, saying the sound of her wail was ingrained in his mind. 

“God just take me, let him live,” Mr. Perkins said to himself, per the report. 

Following Prime’s death, the suit says the Perkins got an independent autopsy to be sure the infection was the cause of his passing. However, American Forensics returned with results showing the infant suffered brain hemorrhages as a result of childbirth complications by way of a failed vacuum-assisted delivery, per The Morning News. 

By last month, the Perkins lawyered up and decided to take legal action for their pain and suffering. The report says there hasn’t been an official response to the lawsuit. However, Dr. Patton told The Morning News vaguely where she stood on the allegations. 

“I will simply say that I am committed to providing the highest quality medical care possible to my patients,” Patton wrote in an email to Dallas Morning News. 

According to social media, the Perkins have been blessed with a beautiful baby girl since the incident. The pair also launched a GoFundMe last year, asking for $10K in donations "from our community, friends, and kind-hearted strangers. Any donation, no matter how small, would be deeply appreciated. Your generosity will help alleviate some of the financial strain on Darryl and Emerald as they navigate this heartbreaking loss." As of this writing, the fundraiser has garnered just over $7,700 of its goal.