Episode Overview
Title: Judge Awards Baby's Family Nearly $1 Billion Compensation After Hospital Botched Delivery
Podcast: Facts Matter | The Epoch Times
Date: October 8, 2025
Host: Roman
This episode delves into a shocking legal case in Utah, where a state judge awarded a family nearly $1 billion after catastrophic mistakes during a hospital delivery left their child with lifelong disabilities. Roman methodically unpacks the harrowing events, the legal journey, and the consequences for all parties involved.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Background of the Case (00:00–01:47)
- Who: Anissa Zancanelli and Daniel McMichael, residents of Wyoming.
- What: While on a short vacation in Salt Lake City, Utah, Anissa unexpectedly went into labor and went to Jordan Valley Medical Center.
- Events:
- The nurses attending Anissa had just completed their training on that day.
- Nurses administered excessive amounts of Pitocin for hours, ignoring alarming symptoms: the baby's rising blood pressure and mother's fever.
- The on-call doctor, after being told of the dangers, returned to sleep in a nearby room.
- Delivery by C-section resulted in Azalie (the baby) being born with physical trauma and needing to be airlifted for intensive care due to complications from oxygen deprivation during labor.
Quote:
"You go to an American hospital to give birth to your baby, only to be administered dangerous levels of drugs by nurses who, unbeknownst to you, had just finished their training that day and a doctor napping in the next room."
— Roman, (01:47)
2. Lifelong Impact on the Child and Family (01:47–02:55)
- Child's Health: Azalie requires 24/7 care due to regular seizures and severe cognitive impairment.
- Family Adaptation: The family, including Azalie's younger sister, sleeps together for safety and carries oxygen tanks everywhere.
- Ongoing Care: Azalie attends kindergarten only for a few hours daily and receives constant physical and occupational therapy.
Quote:
"Doctors think she'll never be able to carry out normal activities like driving a car, attending college, or working."
— Roman, (02:18)
3. Legal Actions and Hospital Ownership (02:55–03:42)
- Suit Against Hospital: The parents sued the hospital's owner at the time, Steward Healthcare.
- Ownership Changes: Steward Healthcare later sold the hospital, which is now known as Holy Cross Hospital, West Valley, operated by CommonSpirit Health.
- Relevance: These changes complicated the legal proceedings.
4. Steward Healthcare’s Withdrawal and Bankruptcy (03:42–04:10)
- Steward Healthcare’s Defense: The company denied wrongdoing.
- Legal Issues: Steward's lawyers withdrew because they ceased being paid and lost contact with the company, which did not replace them.
- Bankruptcy: Steward filed for bankruptcy, owing billions to other creditors, affecting the potential payout to the family.
5. The Judge’s Ruling and Award (04:12–05:16)
- Judge’s Statement: The judge delivered a scathing rebuke of the hospital’s actions.
Memorable Quote:
"Ms. Zancanelli would have been better off delivering this baby at the bathroom of a gas station or in a hut somewhere in Africa than in this hospital. Literally, this was the most dangerous place on the planet for her to have given birth. And the person Azale was to be, the person she deserved to be, is trapped inside a brain damaged child. I cannot think of anything more profound, total or complete than that loss."
— Judge’s Official Ruling, read by Roman (04:19)
- Award: The family was granted $951 million—the largest ever in Utah’s history.
- Reality: Due to Steward’s bankruptcy, the family's lawyers estimate they may only see half of the payout, if that.
6. Reflections on Justice and the System (05:16–05:39)
- Roman’s Take: Summarizes the case as a “bittersweet ending to a terrible story,” noting the continuing hardships for the family despite the historic award.
Notable Quotes & Moments
-
On the stakes:
"This conflagration of buffoonery led to what was likely going to be a beautiful baby girl. To instead being a child, still beautiful but forced to live with disabilities maybe for the rest of her life." (01:47) -
On hospital liability and payout prospects:
"The family must now attempt to collect on their award from the embattled hospital chain which is currently in bankruptcy as it owes billions to various creditors." (05:00)
Important Timestamps
- 00:00 – Introduction and basic case description
- 01:47 – Baby’s medical state post-delivery, emotional/personal impact on family
- 02:55 – Parents’ lawsuit details, hospital ownership changes
- 03:42 – Hospital’s legal pullback and bankruptcy
- 04:19 – Judge’s powerful ruling and $951 million award
- 05:00 – Discussion on payout feasibility due to bankruptcy
- 05:16 – Roman's reflections and call to action
Conclusion
Roman’s reporting underscores the intersection of medical negligence, legal hurdles, and the profound impact on a family’s life. The episode not only presents the bare facts but also brings in scathing judicial commentary and realistic assessments of what multi-million-dollar verdicts mean when corporate bankruptcy comes into play. This episode exemplifies the show's ethos of straight, unsparing journalism, bringing clarity and emotion to a complicated, tragic story.