An 8-year-old girl has died in Tolima, Colombia, after undergoing a "simple" tooth extraction.
In a local television broadcast, the relatives of the little girl said that she suffered an unexpected hemorrhage during the procedure. "They couldn't do anything," her grieving mother said in the interview.
According to local media, the incident took place at the dental office of Dr. José Manuel Herrera. The girl's parents said that they were not blaming the dentist for the events that unfolded leading up to her death.
The girl had been experiencing tooth pain for several days when her mother took her to see the dentist. After a quick scan, it became clear that the pain was being caused by a broken tooth which she would have to have removed.
According to her mother, she had been diagnosed with anemia but had also been receiving treatment for her condition. "She had been tested for everything and according to the pediatrician she was fine," she said of her late daughter.
As soon as the tooth was removed, the girl began bleeding uncontrollably.
"At once, we left for the hospital," her mother said. "[The dentist] took me in his car."
The trio arrived at San Juan de Dios Hospital in Honda and the girl was rushed to an emergency care unit. However, doctors at the medical facility were unable to save her life. It is believed that the 8-year-old may have ingested blood during the procedure, which caused her to suffocate.
"It has been very hard for us," said her sister. "The only thing that is left for us to do is to ask God to give us strength and resilience."
The little girl also had a twin brother. Her sister described her as the "joy of the house" and tributes have poured in for the young girl on social media.
"An angel for heaven my condolences to the family and God embrace them and comfort them," said one social media user.
The girl's school, the Alfonso Palacio Rudas School, has organized a telethon to raise money for her funeral in a gesture of support and solidarity with her family. In their TV address, the family thanked their neighbors, family, friends and the girl's teachers for their support through this difficult time.
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Pandora Dewan is a Senior Science Reporter at Newsweek based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on science, health ... Read more
