Georgia HIV appeal at high court
The family of a boy who contracted HIV from a blood transfusion at the Medical College of Georgia in 1985 and whose condition went undiagnosed for many years should not be allowed to proceed with a malpractice lawsuit, attorneys argued this week. The statute of limitations has long since expired, argued Bryan Dorsey, who represented MCG Health Inc. and two physicians before the Georgia Supreme Court. Derek was born with a rare heart defect. He received blood transfusions at MCG while undergoing heart surgery as an infant. In 1985 when Derek received the blood, hospitals had not started screening for HIV. Sharon Kaminer, a pediatric cardiologist at MCG, and Ayman Al-Jabi, another pediatrician, both saw Derek routinely as he was growing up and attributed most of his ailments to childhood colds and his heart condition.
