
TRIGGER WARNING: This post contains information about stillbirth and infant loss, which may be triggering to some.
A mother has filed a lawsuit against a New Jersey hospital after the stillbirth of her son. Having to deliver a stillborn baby is traumatic, and the mother gave the hospital clear instructions on how she wanted to handle things after the loss. But it seems that the hospital didn’t follow her wishes. Not only that, they lost her son’s remains.
She is suing for the negligence of the hospital regarding her son’s remains, as well as their failure to follow her instructions, which has only caused her and her family more grief unnecessarily.
More from CafeMom: The OB Who Delivered My Stillborn Baby Dropped Him on His Head & Didn’t Even Care
The woman had clear instructions about the death.
The 34-year-old Connecticut mother has filed a lawsuit against Hackensack University Medical Center claiming that not only did it lose the remains of her stillborn son, but it also performed an autopsy against her wishes, NJ.com reported. She had given explicit instructions regarding her wishes.
The birth was an emotional one.
On September 28, 2022, the woman, who remains anonymous, went to the New Jersey hospital for an induced labor. Doctors had discovered a congenital disorder, and knew that her baby wouldn’t survive birth. Because they knew why their son died, and because of their Jewish faith, the parents declined an autopsy.
More from CafeMom: Nurse Pens Letter to Moms of Stillborn Babies To Send Important Message: ‘We See You’
The hospital didn't follow her wishes.

According to the lawsuit, which was filed in August 2024 in US District Court, the woman only consented to a basic examination of her son’s remains. In July 2023, almost a full year after his death, a full autopsy was performed, she learned. And if that wasn’t enough, the hospital had misplaced her baby’s body due to its small size. She believed that her son’s remains would have been disposed of within four weeks of his death.
The whole experience has been incredibly traumatic for the family.
The lawsuit claims professional negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress because of the hospital’s inability to properly store and locate her son’s body. She also claims the hospital did not respect her son’s body. Plus, she claims the hospital didn’t respect her wishes in performing the autopsy. The lawsuit claims the whole ordeal has caused her severe emotional trauma.
The hospital has released a statement regarding the lawsuit.
NJ.com shared a statement from representatives from Hackensack University Medical Center, saying that it regrets “the family’s tremendous loss.”
“We are committed to high quality, compassionate healthcare, and when a patient and family suffers a loss, all of us share in their grief. Our thoughts and prayers are with the [family],” the statement reads.