The mother of a North Texas teen who collapsed on a football practice field in 2018 and later died is suing the healthcare provider that cleared him for physical activity.
Monica Debbs was only feet away from her 13-year-old son, Kyrell McBride-Johnson when he collapsed. It was later found that a pre-existing heart condition had caused his death.
In a lawsuit filed in Dallas County Court, Debbs alleges a physician at CareNow missed clear signs something was wrong.
“I want them to take accountability,” said Debbs. “I basically put my life in the doctor’s hands to make the right decision and they completely made the wrong decision.”
The lawsuit alleges a CareNow physician certified McBride-Johnson for activity despite the fact he reported exhaustion and chest pain during exercise.
“The standard of care in Texas requires a formal investigation, a formal full workup when you answer yes to these questions and that wasn’t done in this case,” said Attorney Reid Martin, who is part of Debbs’ legal team.
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NBC 5 reached out to CareNow’s parent company, Medical City Health, who responded with the following statement.
Our hearts go out to this family regarding the loss of their loved one. This is a tragedy, particularly because it involves a child, and we continue to keep them in our thoughts and prayers. -Care Now
Debbs said she hopes the lawsuit will force the healthcare industry to pay closer attention when conducting physicals on young athletes and prevent other parents from having to bear the memory she will now carry for a lifetime.
“I was there at practice on the second day of school when he came running off the field and just collapsed midway to me,” she said.
