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Brandon Harris, Atlanta Man, Dies During Videotaped Sleep Study (VIDEO)

First Posted: 03/05/12 06:30 PM ET Updated: 03/06/12 12:52 PM ET

The last hours of Brandon Harris' life were captured on film after the Atlanta man unexpectedly died during a routine sleep study.

MyFox Atlanta reports that Harris' family has filed a lawsuit against Emory Healthcare claiming that the hospital could have done more to prevent their loved one's death.

The family told MyFox Atlanta that Harris, who was mentally handicapped, was "very overweight, and suffered from congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, diabetes and high blood pressure" and that those conditions made it risky for Harris to sleep on his back for long periods of time.

"We never knew he'd be dead," Renee "Sunshine" Lewis, Harris' mother told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Brandon did not receive the appropriate care from [the sleep center]. Actually, in my opinion, he received no care at all."

The hospital has declined to comment, citing the pending litigation.

Nevertheless, Georgia lawmakers are already moving forward to address a possible need for more regulation of sleep study facilities.

CBS Atlanta reports that Georgia State Senator Vincent Fort appeared with members of Harris' family at a press conference to introduce a bill that would require 24-hour surveillance and CPR training for staff at sleep study facilities.

 
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08:20 PM on 03/06/2012
Sound like it's the parents fault to me. When are people going to take responsibility, for their actions. If Mom and Dad knew of his pre existing problems, why did they allow their son to take part in this?
02:25 PM on 03/06/2012
Who would they sue if he had died at home? The body moves often during the night and at some points the sleeper may sleep on their backs before moving to their front or side.
Everyone has a preferred sleeping position.
At home did he have accessorues on his bed at night to prevent him sleping on his back for any length of time? Did others in the house monitor him whilst he was sleeping?
This smacks to me of family members seeing a quick easy buck t be made.
05:06 AM on 03/07/2012
While I agree to some extent with what you're saying, it seems that there are a couple of critical components missing from the story; 1, the young man woke up or was awake and he was aware something was wrong, and he asked the people monitoring him "Am I dying?" and they told him he was OK and that he would be fine. SO - with THAT info, it somewhat changes things. They've got heart and ekg and respiratory leads hooked up to the patient, they could have and SHOULD have seen something was not right and should have cut the study off and immediately rendered assistance -- Makes me wonder if the monitoring people are even trained in how to give emergency assistance in these places. I bet they're not.