Kaiser Apologizes For Burial Mix-Up

UPDATED: 10:08 am PDT May 24, 2006


SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Kaiser officials in Sacramento are apologizing for a mistake involving two families whose babies died at the Sacramento medical center.

It happened about two weeks ago. One family lost twins while the other lost an infant.

Somehow the three ended up being buried together and the incident has raised some serious questions for Kaiser and for a Sacramento funeral home.

A representative of Thompson Funeral Home came to Kaiser Hospital on Morse Avenue to pick up the bodies of premature twins for burial. For reasons still unexplained, the representative left with three infants -- the twins and another infant, a member of the Weathers family, who died at birth.

Kaiser officials could provide no explanation as to how this happened, but released the following statement:

"We deeply regret this unfortunate situation and have apologized to both families during this difficult time. We contacted both families to resolve the matter as quickly as possible."

The Weathers family now has an attorney.

"The experience of exhuming another family's grave to find your child has been like a horror show -- it's been a parent's worst nightmare come true," attorney Mark Sigala said.

At Thompson Funeral Home, another mistake -- they somehow prepared three infants for the twins' burial. Why they did this is unknown.

A mortuary manager declined to be interviewed by KCRA 3 but said they would investigate. A manager at another mortuary service called the mistake inexcusable.

The burial for the twins took place at St. Mary's Cemetery on May 16. That family and cemetery officials had no idea there was a third body included.

Cemetery officials said the grave was dug up the next day, the remains examined and the missing infant located. The Weathers infant was returned to the family for burial in Santa Clara.

A spokesperson for the state Department of Health Services, which regulates hospitals, told KCRA 3 Tuesday afternoon that it will investigate the incident and ask Kaiser for a full explanation.

Meantime, the Department of Consumer Affairs, which regulates funeral homes, said if the Weathers family files a complaint, it will investigate as well.