@Gumby
Chill dude. Some people may not have the same "avenues" to vent their frustration as others. Writing down your thoughts and clicking that "send" button can relieve a lot of stress, regardless of any "replies" or "sympathies".
Now that I've grossly "overused" the "quotes" thing, I'll bow out of this thread. But bashing somebody in a thread about a 2 year old they knew (the NEICE of a CLOSE friend really ain't that far away) doesn't seem too classy itself.
@AdExhibitJason
That's some bullshit about your view on doctors. They bust their ass 24/7 to save people. They get calls every hour of the day/night for emergencies to SAVE people.
That doctor has probably been saving patients for DECADES... one child has severe complications and simply cannot be rescued, the family is in denial and all of a sudden make it their mission to avenge the death of their loved one by ending the career of someone who has dedicated their life to saving people.
Have some appreciation. If it IS the doctor's fault... the course of logic and fairness will prevail. But don't turn the baby's life into a sour occasion by trying to play the hero, jumping to conclusions and questioning everything that happened.
It sucks... I agree... but let the family handle it as they choose. Its their issue not yours.
Agreed - a lot of my friends are doctors, and everyone of them is totally and utterly committed to doing their job, in tough conditions and with limited resources (NHS in the UK - obviously I can't speak for the US).
People these days don't want to accept the fact that we are all frail and mortal. When people die, or are told that the disease they have just isn't curable, a common reaction is to assume that the doctor must be to blame in some way.
The enthusiasm for suing doctors which started in the US and is making its way over here, is becoming a major threat to the life of people who need their care.
This encourages the practice of defensive medicine. Rather than focussing on healing people, it makes medics focus on covering their asses.
Going into hospital is actually a pretty dangerous thing to do (there are many studies that show when doctors go on strike for a short while, death rates go down). The only way to improve that is adopt a no-blame safety focussed culture, where every incident and mistake is reported in a way that others can learn from. This is what the airlines have been doing successfully for years, and it's a practice that would save hundreds of thousands of lives if hospitals did it.
But they can't. Why? Because there's always some piece of shit lawyer looking to make a buck by turning a family's grief into anger and suing the doctor involved. To admit that things could have been done better in a particular case would be tantamount to professional suicide.
If the hospital made a major screwup, and was grossly negligent, then fine, complain and sue them. But if they didn't and it was just a tragic event, be aware of the effects your actions could have on the future care of others.
EDIT: That said, anger is a normal part of the grieving process. But please let it pass before you make any decisions.