Family of baby discarded in laundry sues Minnesota hospital

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The family of a stillborn baby who was discarded in a St. Paul hospital's dirty laundry in 2013 is suing the medical center.

The mother, Esmeralda Hernandez, of DeSoto, Texas, and other relatives sued Regions Hospital last week. The lawsuit accuses Regions of reckless interference with a dead body. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports the family is seeking unspecified damages "far in excess of $50,000" for its ongoing pain.

The hospital issued a statement Monday reaffirming its apology, saying it is working with the family's lawyer and is open to a reasonable solution.



Hernandez gave birth to a premature, stillborn son named Jose in April 2013. She accepted the hospital's offer of a dignified cremation, but the baby's body turned up at a commercial laundry two weeks later.