A grieving mother says she made repeated visits to the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre (SLBMC) seeking treatment for her seven-month-old son before he died, alleging that his persistent fever was dismissed as a common flu until his condition turned critical. According to Antigua News Room, the account has prompted the hospital to launch a formal investigation after a video of the mother's emotional testimony went viral on social media.
Jessi Julian says she first brought her son to the hospital after he developed a fever and was told that a common flu was circulating. She reports she was sent home with paracetamol, ibuprofen, and antibiotics. When the child's condition failed to improve, she claims she returned to the hospital, only to be advised once more to continue with the same medication.
"My baby had fever. I got up early Friday morning and went there," Julian said in the video. "He told me it was a common flu that's going around. He gave me paracetamol and ibuprofen."
Julian alleges that after several days of high fevers reaching as high as 103 degrees, she sought a private physician, who referred the child back to the hospital for urgent care. She says additional testing was only conducted after her son began suffering seizures, at which point meningitis was identified.
She further claims hospital staff informed her that her son's white blood cell count was low and that he had bacterial meningitis. The child subsequently died. These claims have not been independently verified.
"There is no amount of money in this world you can give me to tell me it's okay," Julian said. "If they had attended to him Friday… they kept giving him pain medication and telling me it was just flu."
Julian also stated that she has been told a formal investigation into the case is underway and that it could take three to four weeks to complete.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the SLBMC acknowledged the circulating video and extended condolences to the family. "We recognize that this is an incredibly difficult time for the child's family, and we extend our deepest sympathies to them as they grieve this heartbreaking loss," the hospital said.
The medical centre confirmed it is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident but declined to comment on specific clinical details, citing patient confidentiality and the need to preserve the integrity of the process. Hospital officials have not indicated when the investigation will conclude or whether its findings will be made public.
