Seven long years after Houston-area dentist Bethaniel Jefferson performed a procedure that left a child with permanent brain damage, she finally learned her fate this week.
Bethaniel Jefferson who was recently convicted of reckless injury to a child, was sentenced to just probation on Thursday. A jury initially sentenced her to 10 years in prison, but the judge changed the sentence to five years of probation — a true disappointment to the family of the young girl.
The conviction stems from a 2016 incident in which Jefferson was doing dental surgery on 4-year-old Nevaeh Hall. During the procedure, the little girl began to have seizures. Jefferson allegedly did not call the police for more than five hours while the child continued to experience back-to-back episodes, a total of three during the incident. Instead, Miss Jefferson gave the 4-year-old a Halcion pill that is intended to treat insomnias… To make matters worse, the dentist also reportedly called a pastor and a pharmacist before dialing 911 to request emergency help, according to reports.
As a result of Jefferson’s decision-making, Nevaeh Hall’s oxygen levels plunged. The now-11-year-old girl needs around-the-clock care and is still unable to see, walk, speak, or eat on her own.
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The verdict was a heartbreaking moment for the family especially because the trial heard how the young girl was supposed to have a routine procedure for a decayed tooth, but was left sedated for hours despite falling into multiple seizures. Nevaeh’s grandmother, Clara Clark, slammed the verdict as “very unfair.”
Jefferson “gets to walk free, live her life, going about her business,” Clark said to the ABC. “Nevaeh won’t get to go to her prom, walk down the aisle and get married, enjoy her birthdays where she can run around and play, which is what a child should do.”
Hall’s family was awarded a $95.5 million settlement in a civil lawsuit last year. But unfortunately, a plaintiff’s attorney said Jefferson, whose dental license was revoked just months after the botched procedure in January 2016, has no money to pay the damages.
The repercussions of this tragic event extend far beyond the physical toll it has taken on Nevaeh. The emotional and psychological impact on her and her family cannot be understated. Their lives have been forever altered by the actions of a professional entrusted with their well-being.