Eight years following the tragic death of her infant son, Madeen Bullard continues her relentless pursuit of accountability in a medical negligence case that she alleges originated from a critical error at Princess Margaret Hospital during her pregnancy. The case, which remains pending before the Supreme Court, has seen minimal progress despite repeated attempts by the grieving mother to seek resolution.
Mrs. Bullard maintains that she received an incompatible blood transfusion during her pregnancy—A positive instead of her actual O negative blood type—which she believes directly contributed to severe complications and ultimately the death of her two-year-old son, Joshua Bullard, in 2018. Clinical documentation reviewed by media outlets indicates Joshua exhibited significant neurological complications at birth, including minimal limb movement, weak crying, and poor reflexes, requiring immediate intensive care.
The prolonged legal battle has named the Public Hospital Authority, former Health Minister Dr. Duane Sands, and the Attorney General as defendants. Court records reveal the case has progressed through various procedural stages, including summons, affidavits, and medical records requests. In June 2022, the family’s legal representatives proposed a potential settlement, but despite acknowledgment from the Attorney General’s Office, no substantive response has been forthcoming.
Mrs. Bullard describes the profound emotional and physical toll the ordeal has taken on her entire family. “It has affected me really badly health-wise,” she recounted. “I was crying, I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat.” Her other children similarly struggled with the loss, having anticipated their younger brother’s eventual return home after celebrating both of his birthdays in hospital settings.
The COVID-19 pandemic was cited in official correspondence from 2020 as contributing to earlier delays. Mrs. Bullard has engaged with multiple government administrations, including a meeting with Prime Minister Philip Davis in August 2023, who reportedly acknowledged the case’s excessive duration and promised investigation. Despite these high-level interventions, the mother reports receiving no meaningful updates from either government officials or her legal representatives, leaving her in a perpetual state of uncertainty and grief.