British woman with Spina Bifida sues mother’s doctor for failing to give 'right advice'

A 20-year-old woman from Lincolnshire, England, is suing her mother’s general practitioner for not properly informing her about how to prevent a condition that she was diagnosed within the womb. Evie Toombes, who is a showjumper, wants millions in damages from Dr Philip Mitchell for his medical negligence. Toombes is suffering from a rare condition known as lipomyelomeningocele (LMM), which is also known as Spina Bifida. In this condition, a baby is born with a deformed spine and spinal cord, which consist of gaps due to stunted development. The 20-year-old show jumper is suffering from a neural tube defect to the spine due to spina bifida. Owing to the disease, her mobility is said to be very limited. Her dependence on a wheelchair will increase as she gets older. She has filed a lawsuit of ‘Wrongful Life’ against Dr Mitchell for his failure to give the right advice to her mother with regards to the medications due to which she was born with a disability which will plague her for lifetime. The 20-year-old woman claimed that Dr Mitchell did not advise her mother to take folic acid supplements to curb the risk of spina bifida to the minimum. If the doctor had given the right advice to her mother at the right time the damage could have been prevented. “Dr Philip told me that it was not necessary. He advised that if I maintain a good, healthy diet, I would not have to take folic acid,” Evie’s mother told the judge, as reported by news outlets. As per Toombes’ lawyer, her parents were initially refraining from conceiving a baby but went ahead after consulting the doctor on it. However, Mitchell’s lawyer has denied the allegations and said that Evie’s parents were given “reasonable advice” related to the desirability of folic acid supplements. Despite her illness, Evie is a successful showjumper and was even felicitated with the ‘Inspiration Young Person Award’ in 2018. During the award ceremony, she also met Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.