Charlotte Mom Says Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center Told Her Baby Died — Then Took It Back
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A North Carolina mother says a Charlotte hospital put her through a nightmare no parent should ever experience — telling her her newborn baby had died, then days later saying the baby was alive and improving, only to reverse course again and claim it was all a mistake.
LaChunda Hunter says her daughter, Legacy, was born in February 2022 and quickly admitted to Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center with breathing problems, jaundice, and an elevated white blood cell count. Despite the concerns, Hunter says doctors initially reassured her that Legacy was responding to treatment.
Then everything changed.
According to a lawsuit filed on January , Hunter was told on February 19 that her newborn had died — just hours after hospital staff told her the baby was doing better and “looking beautiful.”
The following day, Hunter says she and her friends were taken into a small, dark room inside the hospital. There, a nurse handed her a baby she was told was Legacy.
Hunter says she held the baby, cried over her, and said goodbye.
The lawsuit describes the baby as being tightly wrapped in blankets, with only part of her face visible. Hunter says nothing about the situation raised red flags at the time. Believing her child was gone, she began planning a funeral and grieving what she thought was a final loss.
Three days later, the grief turned into shock.
On February 22, Hunter says she received a phone call from a doctor who sounded upbeat and excited. The doctor — identified in court filings as Dr. Jay Kothadia — allegedly told her that Legacy’s test results showed major improvement. Her jaundice was clearing, her white blood cell count was improving, and her breathing had stabilized.
Hunter says she froze.
Her assistant, who was sitting beside her during the call, reportedly blurted out, “You told her her baby was dead!”
According to the lawsuit, the doctor immediately hung up.
Hunter says she repeatedly tried calling the hospital back but couldn’t get anyone to answer. Eventually, another physician, Dr. Preethi Srinivasakumar, contacted her and told her there had been a mistake.
The test results, she was told, belonged to another baby.
Hunter questioned that explanation, pointing out that the medical updates matched the exact conditions Legacy had been treated for. The lawsuit says the doctor became defensive and warned Hunter that if she came to the hospital demanding answers, security would be called and she could be arrested.
Hunter says she was told she needed to get a lawyer.
The emotional fallout, according to the lawsuit, has been devastating. Hunter says she still struggles with anxiety, depression, and PTSD — and with the haunting question of whether the baby she buried was truly her child.
A DNA test Hunter obtained on the baby she was given to bury allegedly came back inconclusive. Novant Health later told local media that testing done by the hospital confirmed the baby was hers.
Hunter says that hasn’t brought peace.
“This has left me questioning everything,” she said during a press conference announcing the lawsuit. “I don’t want any mother to ever go through this.”
In a statement, Novant Health said it could not comment on the details of the case but emphasized that it takes concerns seriously and understands the deep impact of grief on families.
READ HUNTER’S LAWSUIT BELOW:
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