Omaha Woman Lucky To Be Alive After Meningitis Misdiagnosis

UNMC Dr. Mark Rupp On Meningitis

In July, a 10-year-old girl lost her life to bacterial meningitis after she was allegedly sent home from the hospital. Now, Channel 6 News has learned of another case of meningitis gone un-diagnosed for so long, it nearly took an Omaha woman's life.

Lacey Orendach is re-learning a lot these days, including how to play cards with her mom and sister.

She's recovering from meningoencephalitis, a brain infection. Lacey nearly died.

The week that Lacey got sick, she complained of neck and back pain to her mother, Debbie Orendach, but also had an allergic reaction to medication she was already on.

When the pain and allergies got to be more than medication could help, she went to the Emergency Room at Methodist Hospital.

"She doesn't fit the profile for meningitis," is what Debbie Orendach says the doctor told her, "Then you know, in my mind, I brought it up, and they just shut me down."

Lacey was released and the next day she went on a girl's trip to Des Moines with her sister, Marissa.

"She wouldn't eat anything, she wouldn't drink anything. She was really mean. Like physically and verbally, which is really not like her," said Marissa.

After a phone call to mom, Debbie, Marissa got Lacey to the emergency room at Des Moines Mercy West Medical Center as soon as she could.

According to her mother and sister, Lacey was delusional and confused.

Doctors believed her symptoms were caused by an overdose of the Benadryl she was taking for allergies.

"I asked that doctor, too," said Debbie Orendach, "I said, 'What about meningitis?' and I explained everything and again, 'She doesn't fit the profile."

Then something horrible, but in turn, it may have saved Lacey's life.

"All of a sudden we heard code blue and it was her room number," Debbie said, and then paused as she fought back tears, "So we all took off running and we got there and they were bagging her and she was in the middle of a seizure."

Lacey laid in a coma for two days. Doctors did a spinal tap and diagnosed meningoenciphalitis caused by viral meningitis.

Not knowing whether or not Lacey would wake up was a spinning wheel of thoughts through her mother's head. "I don't think I understood the meaning of surreal until that experience, because there was just no way that we were supposed to be there. And I was angry, because I kept thinking, if one of these doctors would have listened to me? Could we have prevented this?" said Debbie Orendach.

In this case, Lacey came out of the coma, after 6 days in the ICU she was released, and this 21-year-old is getting back into the swing of life, with little to no memory of what happened. "The only thing I remember is going to the hospital and taking medicine and not liking it," she said.

She's beat meningitis, and now plans to live life to the fullest.

Representation at both hospitals that Lacey went to for care were contacted, but are unable to comment on patient care due to federal privacy laws.

Methodist Hospital released the following statement, "Methodist Hospital has received no complaints, inquiries or notification of events similar to those outlined by WOWT from any patient or family of a patient."

"In any event, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy regulations would prohibit administrators and physicians from confirming that the individual identified by WOWT was a patient at Methodist Hospital or commenting on any symptoms, diagnoses or treatments."

A Mercy West Medical spokesperson said, "The hospital is not able to share information about the patient's care because that is protected health information under federal HIPAA laws."

Before she got sick, Lacey Orendach had just switched to private insurance. She says her mother won't even let her open the bills that are coming, it's too upsetting.

The family is planning a benefit to help defray some of her costs. It will be on Friday, September 16th, at St. Leo's Church, 1920 N. 102nd Street, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The cost to attend is $10 for adults, $5 for children. There will be a spaghetti feed, raffle, silent auction, bake sale, face painting, a bouncy machine, games and music.

In addition, Lacey's sister, Marissa, has set up an account for monetary donations at Wells Fargo Bank, "Fundraiser for Lacey Orendach."