Parents Say Daughter May Have Died From Malpractice

By Daniel Hawn

Published on September 16, 2005

Jose and Diana Magana believe that their daughter, Sherral, may have died as the result of negligence on the part of the staff at the office of Dr. Wiley Elick.

Last week, Sherral was taken to Elick's office to undergo a tooth extraction. Elick, however, was out of town at the time and another dentist performed the procedure. About 40 minutes after Sherral was put under general anesthesia she began to show signs of severe distress. An ambulance was called and Sherral was taken to the nearby Hanford Community Medical Center.

In spite of their efforts, doctors were unable to resuscitate her, and Sherral died three hours later.

Local authorities have not made any indication that malpractice may have been a factor in the girl's death. The Kings County Coroner said that Sherral could have died from an allergic reaction to the anesthesia.

The Magana family is not satisfied, however, with the information they have been given by the dental practice regarding Sherral's death. On Tuesday, they led a demonstration near Elick's office where dozens of people joined in chants demanding for more information about the incident.

An investigator with the Hanford Police said that the full results of Sherral's autopsy may not be available for several months.

Comment on this article →