Note: This story has been updated to specify information released in the report from the Wichita Police Department, adds a statement from the attorney representing the dental office and adds information from the dental office’s website on sedation procedures performed there.
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – A Kansas mother is sharing her family’s tragedy and looking for answers after her 3-year-old son died following a dental procedure in Wichita on Tuesday.
Nancy Valenzuela, a mother of three from Scott City, said she took her son, Abiel Valenzuela Zapata, into Tiny Teeth Pediatrics Dentistry because he needed teeth pulled after a gum infection. She said she thought it would be a simple procedure.
“We didn’t expect to come out of there without a child,” said Valenzuela.
Abiel, who was only a month away from turning four, died Tuesday after being transported to a Wichita hospital.
Valenzuela said after visiting two dental offices in southwest Kansas, she was told her son needed some teeth removed. She said he was good before he went into surgery and cried when he had to get a shot. But, she said right after that, she told him it would be okay.
“I told him, ‘Papi, everything’s going to be okay. You know you’re fine,’” said Valenzuela.
Wichita police officers responded to a 911 call at the dental office and filed an incident report about what they found.
“There is no criminal investigation occurring at this time,” Officer Trevor Macy said in a statement to KSN.
According to the report, Abiel was doing fine for about 30 minutes under sedation.
In the report, a Wichita Police Department sergeant wrote that “[redacted] was brought in for several procedures this morning around 0700 hrs. They brought him back and he was a little scared but not super scared or anxious…. he was fine for about 30 minutes under sedation while they [redacted].”
The report went on to say that around 7:50 a.m. “they gave [redacted] the [redacted] and that is when his right cheek swelled up” and the boy’s heart rated started to slow. The report noted that the boy was given something, although the details were redacted from the report, “to try to increase his heart rate when his pulse stopped and they started CPR.”
Shortly after, the boy was taken to the hospital, where he later died. The incident report released to KSN redacted identifying information about the patient and other specifics about the procedures being performed.
According to the report, the doctor who performed the dental procedures said he had never seen anything like this in his career, especially in someone without any known allergies. The doctor is listed on the dental office’s page as a board-certified D.D.S. According to the police report, he did not administer the sedation.
Although the police incident report listed the individual who administered IV medications for the sedation as an anesthesiologist, the website for the dental office does not list an anesthesiologist on staff. Instead, it says “IV sedation at Tiny Teeth Pediatric Dentistry is administered by Special Anesthesia Services, a group of Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) who specialize in caring for patients needing sedation in the dental office setting. Your child’s sedation will be performed solely by the CRNA, and they will not perform any other component of the dental procedure.” The website also has a section explaining sedation procedures with children.
Valenzuela, who said she’d been asking the front desk for details, said she didn’t know the medical emergency at the office was for her son until he was brought out to the ambulance.
“As a mother, you feel like you failed him because you didn’t do anything to protect him,” she said. “I really thought that I made the right choice.”
When she saw her son, he had passed away. She said that’s when she made a promise to him.
“‘I couldn’t do anything for you, but I will investigate.’ It’s what I told him. It’s the only thing I can do and bring awareness,” she said.
She said it’s been hard on her other children, including Abiel’s older brother.
“I asked him later on in the night, ‘Where is Abiel,’ and he pointed up, and he said he is with God,” she said.
She said the family would have to take it one day at a time.
“He’s in a better place, he was just so young, and we loved him a lot,” she said.
Valenzuela said she’s unsure what happened during the procedure but is waiting to see the coroner’s report.
Monday afternoon, the attorney representing Tiny Teeth Pediatric Dentistry responded to KSN’s request for comment. Mark Maloney, Attorney at Hinkle Law Firm LLC, released the following statement:
“Tiny Teeth Pediatric Dentistry is devastated by the death of Abiel Valenzuela Zapata. We are praying for the family during this time and ask for the community to do so, as well. Like Abiel’s family, we, too, want to understand how this tragic event may have occurred. Our practice has never experienced an incident like this, and we had no reason to expect this procedure would be anything other than routine. We would like to thank the EMS first responders who arrived only a few minutes after we called 911. They continued the CPR efforts we had begun and worked feverishly to save Abiel.”
The family has set up a GoFundMe account to raise money for funeral costs.
