Mercy Springfield and others sued after diabetic dies during ER wait | KOLR

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A Texas couple is suing Mercy Springfield, a physician and a registered nurse after their son died in a Mercy emergency room in 2024.

The lawsuit, filed on Feb. 2, 2026, alleges the hospital, Dr. Patrick Craddock and Kimberly Wilkerson APRN of medical malpractice and wrongful death after George Lubrano died on Dec. 16, 2024.

In the suit, Lubrano’s parents say their son George, a Type 1 Diabetic with an insulin pump and a Dexcom continuous glucose monitor, arrived at the ER around 1:30 p.m. with complaints of “vomiting, lower back spasms, and a critically high blood sugar over 500.”

The suit details a timeline of Lubrano’s health declining over a span of several hours, claiming Lubrano was suffering symptoms similar to diabetic ketoacidosis.

Diabetic ketoacidosis is defined as a complication of diabetes when “acids build up in the blood to levels that can be life-threatening if left untreated.”

The suit says around 2:43 p.m. Lubrano was still in the waiting room when he had trouble breathing. The suit claims Mercy staff ruled his lungs were “bilaterally clear,” attributing the issue to hyperventilation.

At 3:30 p.m. the suit claims Lubrano was still waiting, not seen by a doctor, and then experienced breathing issues again, which were associated with hyperventilation again.

It was around 4:40 p.m. in the afternoon when Lubrano’s parents say his insulin pump had stopped working and when reported, nothing was done.

The suit says Lubrano’s Dexcom meter was reading his blood sugar as “over high,” just five minutes later. Lubrano’s parents claim there’s documentation that he needed to get back to a room as soon as possible.

Lubrano’s parents claim around 5 p.m., despite being flagged as a “priority” for an exam room, he sat in the waiting room, and around 5:30, he started having dry mouth.

Just five minutes after that, the suit says Lubrano became unresponsive, went into cardiac arrest, and then nursing staff called a code.

Dr. Craddock, listed in the suit, is alleged in the suit to have attempted to save Lubrano’s life with CPR, “multiple rounds of IV epinephrine, and an airway intubation that was initially erroneously placed in Decedent’s esophagus rather than his nasopharyngeal airway.”

“[Lubrano] waited untreated in the waiting room for nearly five hours, despite displaying clear symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis, and at 6:01 p.m., he was pronounced dead from complications related to the condition,” the suit says.

Mercy Springfield has issued a statement in response that says, “We extend our heartfelt prayers and condolences for this family’s devastating loss. We have and will continue to work with the family and their counsel to work toward a resolution.” 

A Mercy spokesperson says due to personnel policy, they could not comment if Dr. Craddock or Wilkerson are still employed by the hospital system.

Lubrano’s parents’ attorney, Grant Rahmeyer, told Ozarks First over the phone that Lubrano was a 24-year-old employee at Paul Mueller Company who had been working on getting a master’s degree after graduating from Texas A&M.

He also passed along a statement from Lubrano’s parents.

Statement from John and Michelle Lubrano:

“Our family is forever changed by George’s death. We miss his joy and laughter on a daily basis and his absence leaves a hole that can never be filled.

“Over the short time George lived in Missouri, he found a community that welcomed him with open arms. Our entire family fell in love with Springfield and the amazing people we met, visiting him every chance we got.

“We’re bringing this action because we want to see change in whatever hospital policies, procedures, or personnel that led to George’s death, so no other Missouri family has to endure the devastating loss we’re living with.”