You're watching Washington's ABC 7. We're on your side. This is New 7 at 11 with Maureen Bunyan.
Good evening. Imagine checking into the hospital to undergo a medical procedure and then checking out, having had another one done without your consent.
Tonight, charges of medical malpractice have been filed against one of the area's largest hospitals alleging a surgical procedure was done on a patient without her consent.
U7's Carol Costello has this exclusive report.
To say the Barners are enthusiastic parents is an understatement. They love kids. So even though they have two girls, they wanted more.
I wanted him to have a son because there's only one boy in your family.
In November of last year, Teresa, who was 28, and her husband Ricardo were making plans to have that little boy. But there was a problem.
Teresa was experiencing chronic pelvic pain.
It was like pressure, it was like pushing.
Worried her pain would prevent her from having another baby, she went to see her gynecologist, Dr. Leslie Simmons.
Teresa says the doctor examined her, couldn't find the problem, and that they both agreed exploratory surgery might solve the mystery.
The exploratory procedure is called a laparoscopy. A tiny incision would be made just below the belly button.
A telescope-like instrument would be dropped inside of Teresa, allowing the doctor to look around on the inside for problems.
Teresa came here to the Greater Southeast Community Hospital in November of 1998 for her surgery.
It was a very busy day in the surgery prep room that day. So tired from waiting her turn and anxious about the exploratory surgery, when a nurse handed Teresa some papers, she was a little confused.
She said, I just need your signature right here. So I asked her what was I signing. And she said, it's normal procedures for them. It's normal hospital so the doctor can do the surgery. So I said, okay.
After the surgery, Teresa's husband Ricardo brought her home. It wasn't long before the pain came back, worse than before.
I kept feeling pain. I was like, why am I having so much pain in my back? Like I just had a baby.
For the next two hours, Teresa's husband tried to get Dr. Simmons on the phone. Finally, someone called back. Teresa picked up the phone.
They said that I had a tubulogation done. I asked her, I said, well, what is a tubulogation? And she said, your tubes was cut. And I said, my tubes cut? You sure my tubes was cut?
She said, you had your tubes cut. And I just heard the phone drop.
For the Barners who wanted so badly to add to their family, the news was devastating. A tubulogation is a medical term for sterilization, a procedure that's rarely reversible.
And making matters worse, the Barners say Dr. Simmons was pinning the blame on Teresa.
I said, but you knew that the only thing she's supposed to be done is just this laparoscopy. So why did you do that? Because she signed a consent form.
That's right. Remember that consent form that Teresa signed before surgery? Well, it wasn't a consent form to authorize exploratory surgery. It was a consent form to authorize a tubulogation.
The Barners, angry, decided to sue for $50 million. Their lawyer maintains it doesn't matter what Teresa signed. A responsible doctor, he says, doesn't sterilize a young woman without discussing it first.
Since this is irreversible and there's always human error, you should do your best to prevent a human error and spend some extra time with the patient. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and that's what should have been done in this case.
But even if the Barners win their lawsuit, they say no amount of money can replace what's been taken away.
I see my girlfriends, they have kids and I can't have any at all. I'm going to stay in the house a lot. I don't go out that much.
Carol Costello, New 7.
New 7 requested an interview with Dr. Simmons and Greater Southeast Community Hospital to discuss this case, but our requests were denied. However, their attorneys did file an emergency motion with the courts this week to prevent the broadcast of our story. That motion was denied.
We'll continue to bring you updates as they develop.
We have breaking news to tell you about tonight in Montgomery County. Two people are dead, four others seriously injured following a fiery crash. We go live now to New 7's Suzanne Kennedy for the latest. Suzanne?
Maureen, this all happened around 7-30 tonight at the corner of New Hampshire and Hollywood Avenues. Police tonight say that speed was indeed a factor in this accident and they're also trying to find out if alcohol played a role in this crash.
The impact of the crash was so great that it wrapped this Ford Taurus around a telephone pole. The car then burst into flames. I witnessed this say the Taurus and this Honda were heading southbound on New Hampshire Avenue when the Honda slammed into the backside of the Taurus.
I just heard a boom and I turned around real quick and just saw debris flying everywhere and just all types of stuff. And like the car go up in flames and I was already on the phone by then.
Police say the two people in the Taurus, a male and a female, died at the scene. Three of the four people in the Honda were taken by helicopter to Washington Hospital Center and Baltimore's shock trauma. The other passenger was taken to suburban hospital.
The wreckage from the fiery crash inspired spontaneous prayer by those who gathered at the scene.
We're all here and there's really nothing else we can do but pray to help the individuals. To just stand here isn't productive but to pray is.
We're back now live in Montgomery County. We got late word that actually one of the three passengers that was medevaced from this scene was not taken to Baltimore shock trauma. He was actually taken to Washington Hospital Center. We know that two of the people at Washington Hospital Center are tonight listed in serious but stable condition.
The one passenger that was taken to suburban hospital is listed in fair condition. As for the identity of the two passengers and the Taurus, that is not yet being released until their next of kin are notified.
Reporting live from Montgomery County, Suzanne Kennedy, News 7.
Thank you, Suzanne. There are new leads tonight in the murders of Kristin and Katie Lisk. Authorities say a musical watch that belonged to Kristin was missing when police found her body.
Investigators are also looking for a small red car and a white minivan seen near their home before the murders. Authorities believe the sisters' deaths and the murder of Sophia Silva are connected.
Healthy, well fed and dignified. That's how the Reverend Jesse Jackson says he found the three American POWs being held by the Serbs. He met with them in Belgrade today but as News 7's Dale Solly reports, the prize Jackson had his eyes on he won't be bringing home.
Let us use this time to reflect and think and pray and be grateful and pray for peace in the world.
They met and they prayed but when they parted it was without the freedom Jesse Jackson wanted desperately to win for Steven Gonzalez, Andrew Ramirez and Christopher Stone.
To my wife Trisha and my son Ryan. I love them.
Jackson came to Belgrade armed with a tape recorder and he played messages from the soldiers' families.
I just told them that I loved them very much. I told them to take care and not to worry that we were doing all we could to bring them back home.
Hopefully I get to see you guys here soon and get feedback from my family.
We're leaving this home and we'll get feedback soon.
Stone, Gonzalez and Ramirez didn't have the day's look the POWs had during the Gulf War. They eat well they said although they are kept isolated from one another.
And then the interview was cut short by the air raid siren you can hear in the background.
A lot of rain.
Jackson left Bibles with the soldiers and then left freeing them the Serbs told him was not on the agenda.
In Washington, I'm Dale Solly, News 7.
Reverend Jackson will meet tomorrow with Slavonan Velocevic and will push again for permission to bring those GIs home.
Her son is one of golf's shining stars. Up next I'll sit down with Tiger Woods and his one of a kind mother.
And she talks about teaching him life's lessons. An exclusive interview next.
And here's Jeff with a look at the weather.
Alright Maureen, another beautiful day. Great way to end the work week but what about that weekend?
Well I'll tell you this much, the sun is on the way. What about those temperatures? We'll have all the details coming up for you.
And Renny's here with a sports preview for us. You hung out with Tiger Woods huh?
I am so envious. He called? I am so envious. They're like this coming up in sports.
The Orioles begin a two game set with the Twins minus a reliever.
And the Maryland Terrapins take a look at what's in store for 99 on the gridiron. Those stories and more coming up later.
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Your pinpoint accurate weather forecast with Jeff Gilbert.
And running out on sports. This is News 7 at 11.
They are known as America's international family.
The father, a military man, a proud African American.
The mother, an immigrant from Thailand, a self-confident woman.
The son, a world renowned athlete, the master of the greens.
Tiger Woods and his parents were in the Washington area this evening.
His mother, Koltito Woods, was honored by the organization of Chinese American women.
Mrs. Woods rarely gives interviews, but tonight she spoke with me, her famous son at her side.
I asked Tiger first about the impact of his mother on his early life and later career.
She was always the one that always laid down the law and put down the hammer when it came to education.
And I think that was probably the fundamental reason why I did so well in school.
Why I had the morals and values that I have now.
Is because I always had a parent at home. My parents were my mom.
Mrs. Woods, you also, I hear, were a strict disciplinarian.
Oh, yes.
How did you discipline Tiger?
Just like example, he said he go see his friends.
I said, I got to call. You have to be there when I call.
And you check your phone?
Yes. And also what time he supposed to be home.
And if he late, he got to call me first and give me the reason.
And if he don't call me at late, he can't go out couple days.
You also taught him a very important part of good sportsmanship, which is to control your temper.
I show him this sport of the gentlemen games.
You must respect and when you lose, you must go congratulate the winner.
We saw John McEnroe and Jimmy Connor act on tennis court.
And I told, no, you can't do that.
Because if the way you doing that, you ruin my reputation as a mother.
We've had a very difficult time in the last week or so with this terrible incident in Colorado.
What thoughts have you had about that incident and the role of the parents there?
Always listen to your kids. That's why me and my husband always listen to Tiger.
So that's why might be in between of nowadays is the parent don't listen to their kid that much.
Or have time. Some parent thought is the buy the expensive gift is show of love.
No, it's not true. You can buy a small simple thing and but you have time with them.
That's the most important.
Tiger, your mother is being honored tonight. We know how proud she is of you.
What makes you proud of her?
She's my mom.
Simple as that.
There's really nothing more I can say.
Because that pretty much sums it up.
Beautiful family.