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A Black family is hurting after a Florida mother undergoing plastic surgery died during the procedure, according to an investigation by NBC 6.
Latoshia Leggett told reporters her daughter, 26-year-old Jaynisha "Jayla" Williams, traveled from Hillsborough County to Broward County for a breast augmentation and a Brazilian butt lift (BBL) in October 2021. Williams, who's a photographer, wife, and mother of two, went under the knife at Best U Now cosmetic surgery center in Plantation with her mother at her side.
“I was asking every hour, ‘How’s my daughter doing? How are things going?’ and they kept telling me, ‘she’s OK, everything is fine,’” Leggett recounted. But as other patients were discharged, Williams reportedly never came out. In fact, and ambulance came and whisked her off to the hospital.
That's when Legett got the devastating news.
"They politely grabbed me and said, 'your daughter is dead,'" Latoshia said.
A report by the Broward Medical Examiner's Office found that “the procedure was completed but she (Jayla) never awoke from the anesthesia.” Officials didn't list a cause of death for the 26-year-old.
Reporters also obtained some shocking information about the facility and medical professionals there. The Florida Health Department filed administrative complaints against Best U Now and Dr. John Edward Nees, the designated physician for that surgery center. The reason? They allegedly allowed a doctor who's not qualified to provide anesthesia to sedate Williams.
The doctor who allegedly put her under was Dr. Millicient Muir, an OG-GYN restricted from administrering anesthesia due to a previous complaint. Under Florida law, surgeons must use a qualified anaesthesia provider, such as an anesthesiologist or certified registered nurse anesthetist to administer anesthesia.
Now state health officials are asking for the center's registration to be suspended or revoked, as well as punishment for Dr. Nees.
Leggett said nobody from the center has reached out to them after Williams died. She leaves behind a 5-year-old and a 2-year-old.
“It’s hard, ma’am, it’s hard,” Leggett tearfully told NBC 6. “They ask if they can go to heaven to see their mom. They don’t understand.”
You can read more about this story on the news station's website.
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