A North Carolina family wants answers after their 2-year-old died following a trip to the oral surgeon. Shardé Sherrill and David Mitchell claim they took their son, Er’mias Mitchell, to Valleygate Dental Surgery Center on July 17, 2025. Staff reportedly placed Er’mias under anesthesia for the procedure, but sadly, he never woke up. Now his family mourns the loss of their “miracle baby.”
Mitchell told WRAL that when they checked into the surgery center, Er’mias felt great, and everything seemed normal.
“He was all good this morning, nothing was wrong,” the father recalled. “They checked his heartbeat, checked his weight, and checked everything. It was all good until they took him back in the room.”
Nurses reportedly told the family Er’mias’ lung collapsed, and they rushed him by ambulance to a hospital. Mitchell said no one told them what was happening until after the fact.
“We was like, ‘So where’s our son?’,” he said, per WRAL. “He was already gone in the ambulance, and we was like, ‘Why didn’t y’all tell us?'”
Sherill took to Facebook to share her devastation. “My baby went back there around 7ish. EMS was dispatched at 7:16am. They did CPR in that room for 40 mins on my baby while me in his dad in the lobby just clueless just thinking he was almost finished with procedure,” she wrote.
“They didn’t [notify] me & his dad until almost 8:00AM!!!! WHY YOU DIDN’T TELL US SOONER!!!! My baby needed me with him!!!! HOW COULD Y’ALL!!!!” her post continued. “Then they told me my baby was already gone to the hospital in the ambulance. THEY LET MY BABY RIDE BY HIMSELF!! HOW COULD Y’ALL!!!!!!”
North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners CEO Bobby White shared a statement regarding the tragic death with WFMY.
“The Board has rules, procedures, and protocols that must be followed at any time pediatric sedation is administered in a dental office/facility by a dentist who is the holder of a pediatric sedation permit. However, Valleygate Dental Surgical Center is an ambulatory surgical center licensed by the NC Department of Health and Human Services. It is not considered a dental office,” he shared. “Dentists will often schedule procedures in hospitals or surgical centers, and medical staff at those facilities will provide the sedation services. This frees the dentist to concentrate only on the dental procedure. Therefore, in these situations, it must be determined if the patient’s death resulted from anesthesia provided by a medical provider or CRNA (over which the Board has no jurisdiction) or was the result of a dental procedure that fell below the standard of care.”
Valleygate Dental Surgery Center shared a statement with WRAL regarding Er’mias’ tragic death. The surgery center claims staff have treated 13,000 patients since 2019.
“Our thoughts are with their family and loved ones during this unimaginably difficult time,” the statement reads. “The health and well-being of every patient is our highest priority. Our staff includes an array of highly experienced and board-certified physician anesthesiologists, certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), and nurses. Our professionals are dedicated to providing a caring, nurturing environment where comfort, dental health, and safety are of primary importance.”
Loved ones created a GoFundMe account for Er’mias’ family.
“Er’Mias was a joyful, loving child – full of life, laughter, and endless curiosity. He was the only child of Sharde Sherrill and David Mitchell. His unexpected loss has left their hearts shattered,” the fundraiser reads.
The account has raised more than $5,000 thus far.
Er’mias’ death remains under investigation.
