3-Year-Old Boy Dies After Dental Surgery

A 3-year-old boy reportedly died after receiving anesthesia during a dental procedure. The child’s mother is seeking answers and strict actions against those responsible.

The incident happened in Wichita, Kansas on July 6.

The boy’s mother, identified as Nancy Valenzuela, said she brought her son to the Tiny Teeth Pediatrics Dentistry to get his teeth pulled as he had an infection in his gums.

The mother of three said she went in thinking it would be a simple procedure and never imagined it would turn out to be a tragedy.

"We didn’t expect to come out of there without a child," said Valenzuela.

Abiel Valenzuela Zapata, who was just a month away from turning four, died after being transported to a Wichita hospital.

The mother said that her son was perfectly fine before he went into surgery. She said he cried when the doctors gave him a shot.

"I told him, Papi, everything’s going to be okay. You know you’re fine," said Valenzuela.

Wichita police officers responded to the dental office after receiving a 911 call and filed an incident report based on their preliminary observations.

"There is no criminal investigation occurring at this time," officer Trevor Macy told KSN News.

According to the incident report, the anesthesiologist reported that the child was doing fine for about 30 minutes after receiving the sedative shot.

The doctor continued working on the boy while he was on sedation. As the doctor worked on the boy’s lower jawline, his cheek began to swell and his pulse slowed down, the document said.

The doctors gave him CPR, and the office called 911. Emergency services responded to the scene and transported the boy to Wesley, where he later died.

According to the report, the doctor said that he had never seen anything like this in his career, especially with someone without any known allergies.

The mother said she kept checking with the front desk for updates but didn’t know the EMS had arrived at the office for her son until he was brought out and taken to the ambulance.

"I really thought that I made the right choice," said Valenzuela.

"As a mother, you feel like you failed him because you didn’t do anything to protect him," she said.

"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.

The mother said the tragedy has hit the family hard, especially 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.

"He’s in a better place, he was just so young, and we loved him a lot," she said.

The devastated mother said she doesn't know what happened during the procedure and is waiting for the coroner’s report to reveal further details.

The family has started a GoFundMe page to take care of Abiel’s funeral expenses.