A Georgia family is suing a local hospital after the death of their toddler. Maya Getahun was taken by her family to the hospital, and the family claims it didn’t do enough to save her. She was having an allergic reaction to fire ant bites, and hospital staff allegedly didn’t move swiftly enough. Although the family understands nothing can bring their daughter back, they believe her death could have been prevented.
Her parents brought the 2-year-old to the emergency room of Piedmont Eastside Medical Center in Snellville, on October 7, 2024, WANF reported. The girl had been bitten by fire ants and was having an allergic reaction. According to the lawsuit filed on April 4, 2025, it took 20 minutes to give her epinephrine, which is often given to treat severe reactions like Maya’s.
“She turned red, and she was itching and had some swelling and she was having a little difficulty breathing,” Maya’s mother, Bethelhem Hundie, told Fox 5 Atlanta.
According to the lawsuit, doctors also didn’t have the right size of tube to intubate her. “There are so many things that went on, so many things that could’ve been avoided,” Hundie said. “The health care professionals that were there that day need to be held accountable for how carelessly they handled Maya’s treatment.”
“Maya’s death was 100% preventable,” Lloyd Bell, the family’s attorney said, per WANF.
Now the parents of Maya Getahun are suing. The lawsuit notes they are seeking a jury trial and “judgment be entered in plaintiff’s favor in an amount in excess of $10,000.”
Despite new legislation in the state to curb civil lawsuits against hospitals and insurance companies, they will fight. “We are absolutely committed to number one getting full justice for Maya,” Bell told Fox 5 Atlanta.
