SAN ANTONIO -- A San Antonio family is seeking justice for their little girl. She nearly died after they say an Army doctor over-prescribed her five times the medication her little body could handle.
"This is when we were being sent home telling us we were being over-reactive parents," said Lizzy's mom, who preferred not to be identified. She showed us graphic pictures of the bright red blisters that covered 10-year-Lizzy's skin.
"She was in acoma for 17 days."
Her mom says while the military family was stationed in Germany, an Army doctor over-prescribed Lizzy massive amounts of seizure medication that burned her from the inside out.
"It actually felt like my skin was on a stove," said Lizzy, who is now 18 years old.
The frightening condition put her in the hospital for more than two months. Since then, life has never been the same. Before the burns, Lizzy was an athlete and a model.
"She lost her childhood, and we lost seeing her grow up," said Lizzy's mom.
"It's been hard," said Lizzy, holding back tears. "Especially around summer." While her friends are out in their summer bathing suits, Lizzy is stuck indoors. Doctors say the sun's powerful rays would scorch her burned skin. And even 26 painful surgeries over the last several years couldn't take away all the scarring.
"Sometimes I look in the mirror and just see scars," said Lizzy, breaking down into tears. "And I wish I didn't see that."
The overdose also left Lizzy with very poor vision. And much of the damage to her internal organs is still unknown. After years of negotiations, the Army's claim department recently came back with an offer to compensate Lizzy for her pain, suffering, and permanent loss -- $235,000. To her mother, the offer is a slap in the face.
"It's more of an insult, really," said Lizzy's mom. "You've insulted me, and you've insulted my daughter, basically saying that's all she was worth."
And for her future burn-related medical care, the Army attorney offered $260,000. Lizzy's family says that money will be wiped out in just a few procedures. Lizzy's lawyer rejected the offer, and is asking for more.
News 4 WOAI contacted the Army claims attorney who is handling Lizzy's case. He said he couldn't discuss any details due to the Privacy Act.
But we found out even if the Army comes back with a higher offer for Lizzy's pain and suffering, it won't be what the family feels they deserve. Because the medical malpractice happened overseas, it falls under the "Military Claims Act," which caps compensation at $500,000.
Lizzy's parents say they just want the Army to be held accountable, and to provide her with the future care she needs. Her medical bills up until now have been covered under dependent military healthcare. But that coverage will cut off when Lizzy turns 23.
In our research, we found out that there is a way for military families to check up on malpractice claims against military doctors. While there is currently no national database for military families to check, you can check with the state medical board where the doctor is licensed. But according to our research, only some state boards report malpractice investigations to the public. Texas is one of them.
Army officials say every Army doctor, even those practicing overseas, is licensed in at least one U.S. state.
