A Colorado teen who suffered serious brain damage due to complications from a botched boob job has died, her family’s attorney said.
Emmalyn Nguyen, 19, had spent more than 14 months in a coma before she passed away last week, news station KCNC reported.
“Emmalyn’s parents and siblings are heartbroken,” her family’s attorney David Woodruff said Sunday. ”This turn of events was sadly unexpected.”
Nguyen had arranged to go under the knife with Dr. Geoffrey Kim for a breast augmentation Aug. 1, 2019, at Colorado Aesthetics & Plastic Surgery in Greenwood Village.
But after being administered anesthesia, the teen suffered cardiac arrest and never made it into surgery.
Kim later admitted that he didn’t call 911 for around five hours, the outlet reported.
The medical episode left the teen in a coma with brain damage, requiring round-the-clock medical care.
Woodruff said that the teen appeared to be making some recent progress, including being able to smile at times, but her health took a turn for the worse when she developed severe pneumonia Oct. 2 at her nursing home and went into cardiac arrest, news station KDVR reported.
She was resuscitated but ultimately died two days later, the outlets reported. A memorial service was held Sunday for the teen.
“The world has lost a wonderful, sweet, vibrant young lady,” Woodruff said. “She had a lifetime ahead of her which was needlessly cut short.”
Her family had previously taken legal action against Kim and nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker, accusing them of gross negligence.
Now in the wake of the loss, Woodruff said they will move forward with the litigation as a wrongful death suit.
“Emmalyn’s parents believe it is imperative to tell Emmalyn’s story, both to bring her justice and also to help prevent this from ever happening to another patient,” Woodruff told KCNC.
Kim had his medical license temporarily suspended, but earlier this year it was reinstated and he’s now allowed to practice under probationary status for the next three years, the outlets reported.
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