A mom has shared her disbelief after doctors repeatedly told her 13-year-old daughter she was pregnant, even though the teen had never had sex.
Anamaria Llorca, 40, told PEOPLE her daughter was taken to the hospital after developing intense stomach pain at school. Anamaria initially suspected appendicitis.
At the emergency room, staff ordered a standard set of tests, including blood work, a urine sample and an ultrasound.
While the ultrasound was being performed, Anamaria said she noticed the clinician’s demeanor change, leaving her with the feeling that “something was wrong.”
Soon after, a physician assistant and another staff member came into the room and asked Anamaria to step out so they could speak to her daughter privately. When she was allowed back in, she found her daughter in tears after being told she was pregnant.
Anamaria said the conclusion didn’t make sense to her, particularly because the blood and urine test results had reportedly come back negative.
“I was livid only because I knew without a doubt that my daughter was not pregnant,” she told PEOPLE, adding that she felt the physician’s assistant should have considered other possible explanations.
She explained that her daughter was frightened and bewildered by the situation, insisting she had never been sexually active.
According to Anamaria, a supervising physician also expressed doubts about the pregnancy claim, even though others believed the ultrasound showed “evidence.”
After the weekend, the family secured an urgent appointment with an OB-GYN. The specialist determined the teen was not pregnant and that the scan had picked up retained blood from her most recent menstrual cycle.
Anamaria said the ordeal weighed heavily on the family. She ultimately filed a grievance with the hospital and later received an apology letter.
She told PEOPLE she decided to speak out to help prevent other families from experiencing the same distress, encouraging parents to push for answers when something doesn’t add up.
“Remember you are your child’s biggest advocate,” she told the publication.
As noted by Cleveland Clinic, common signs of appendicitis include abdominal pain, nausea and a reduced appetite.
Those symptoms can overlap with many other conditions. Typically, the pain begins near the center of the abdomen around the belly button.
It may then become more severe as nausea and other symptoms appear, before shifting to the lower right side of the abdomen, where the appendix is located, and continuing to worsen.
Up to 40% of people develop a fever.
Anyone concerned about severe or persistent abdominal pain should seek medical advice.