Oregon Hospital Accused of Forcing Parents to Drive Dead Baby Home

A Seattle couple has filed a $10 million lawsuit against Salem Health and Dr. Stefani Sorensen, alleging hospital staff directed them to drive the body of their nearly 9-month-old son, Michael, home to Seattle in their personal car.

Aleksandr and Nataliya Yeremeyev were visiting Salem, Oregon, on September 22, 2024, when their son, who was born with Down syndrome and had previously spent six months at Seattle Children's Hospital, experienced rapid, shallow breathing. He was taken to the emergency room at Salem Health Hospital, where he died.

According to the lawsuit, when the parents inquired about arrangements for transporting their son's remains, hospital staff reportedly discouraged contacting a local funeral home due to cost. Instead, the lawsuit claims, staff pressured the family to take the body with them in their own vehicle, leaving them feeling they had no alternative.

"They have repeatedly asked the hospital for assistance in helping them with what are the next steps," said Anna Bruckenhoefer, the family's attorney. "This was all occurring overnight. They felt rushed that they had to make quick decisions and the hospital left them with no choice other than to take Michael’s body with them and head back to Seattle."

Aleksandr Yeremeyev drove approximately four hours to Seattle with his son's body in the backseat, while his wife and other children followed in a separate vehicle. The lawsuit states he endured severe emotional distress, fearing traffic stops and car accidents, and was concerned about the visible deterioration of his child's body. Upon arrival at a Seattle funeral home, he reportedly had to clean bodily fluids that had leaked onto the car seat during the journey.

Bruckenhoefer noted that while transporting a deceased individual with proper permits is legal in both Oregon and Washington, the family sought guidance from the hospital. "This is a hospital. It’s an emergency department. Unfortunately, death is something that they are accustomed to and that they deal with. They should have had procedures and protocols in place to assist the Yeremeyev’s while they were dealing with literally the worst moment of their lives. Instead, what they did is they just compounded their grief by essentially telling them that they were on their own in this."

The lawsuit names Salem Health Hospitals & Clinics, Salem Health, Salem Emergency Physicians Service, and Sorensen as defendants, alleging direct negligence, vicarious liability, and a breach of duty owed to grieving parents for the respectful handling of a child's body.

The family is seeking $10 million in non-economic damages for emotional distress and psychological trauma, with plans to seek punitive damages.

Salem Health stated that due to privacy concerns and the ongoing litigation, they cannot comment on the specifics of the child's care. In a statement to Fox 13, the hospital said, "Salem Hospital responded in accordance with the family’s wishes and followed both hospital policy and Oregon state law in consultation with the appropriate local authorities, including the medical examiner."

The statement continued, "Care with respect is a guiding principle of clinical practice at Salem Hospital and remains central to how we support patients and families during some of life’s most difficult moments. We recognize the profound grief families experience following the loss of a loved one and treat every patient and family with empathy, dignity, and respect."