Parents to sue over death of 4-year-old at Mt Hope hospital

THE parents of a four-year-old boy who died in April while under medical care at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC), Mt Hope, have issued formal notice of their intention to sue the hospital and medical staff for alleged medical negligence.

Ayden Clement, born December 13, 2020, was admitted to EWMSC on March 26, 2025, with leg pain and swollen knees. He died three weeks later, on April 17, during a medical procedure involving general anesthesia for an MRI scan. His parents, Ishwar Clement and Abena Femi Simmons-Clement, claim their son’s death was preventable and caused by serious medical errors.

Their lawyers, Johanna Richards, Chinele Ramrattan, and Kiel Taklalsingh, have outlined several alleged failures in care. According to the preaction letter, Ayden was sedated for a second MRI without his mother present, and no informed consent was documented. Shortly after being sedated and intubated, Ayden allegedly suffered a dangerous drop in blood pressure and died despite 55 minutes of attempted resuscitation. A post-mortem later found “copious blood” in his airway, suggesting trauma during the intubation process.

The cause of death was officially recorded as a combination of anesthesia-related hypotension, sepsis, and other medical conditions. However, Ayden’s family insists the true cause was a traumatic intubation and haemorrhage, which led to shock and heart failure.

“This wasn’t just a tragic outcome, it was avoidable,” the family's legal team said. “There were clear signs of negligence in how Ayden was sedated, intubated, and monitored.”

The legal letter contends that Ayden’s parents were kept in the dark throughout his care and were not told about the risks of the procedures. They are claiming that the second MRI was medically unnecessary and that Ayden’s rights to informed medical decisions were ignored.

The attorneys argue that, under established legal standards, the doctors and hospital staff failed in their duty to provide competent care.

“We assert that, ‘but for’ these breaches, Ayden would not have died.”

If no explanation or resolution is offered within 28 days, the family says they will file a lawsuit in the High Court for wrongful death, medical negligence, and other related damages. These include funeral costs and compensation for the pain and suffering endured by both Ayden and his grieving parents.