In 2010, Brian Murphy lost his 16-year-old son due to what he says was a misdiagnosed illness.
The tragedy devastated Murphy and left him with many unanswered questions.
Now Murphy, 49, is sharing his son’s experience through his self-published book, “Losing Quin: A Journey of Injustice and Healing.” The book was co-written by Murphy and his sister Maria Galleher, both teachers in the Sweetwater Union High School District.
Murphy, a Chula Vista native, said he is telling Quin’s story because he wants to prevent a tragedy like this from happening to any other parent or person.
“I didn’t write this book because I wanted to be famous or (get) money,” Murphy said. “It was all about telling Quin’s story and hoping others can learn from his story.”
Murphy said Quin was relatively healthy until one day when he got sick in 2010. Murphy said Quin had complained of severe abdominal pain that lasted about four months.
Murphy said he took Quin to Scripps’ emergency room where he was diagnosed with an intestinal blockage. The emergency room doctor said Quin was experiencing a medical emergency and that he needed to go see his primary doctor at Kaiser for a surgical procedure.
Quin’s primary doctor performed surgery, removing his appendix because the doctor said
Quin’s appendix was inflamed and that Quin would be cured.
But he was not cured.
As the illness progressed, it affected Quin’s everyday living. He couldn’t get up in the morning to attend classes. He missed soccer practices. He would lay in bed suffering.
Doctors continued to tell Murphy that Quin was well.
Quin died four months later in his father’s arms. Murphy said his son did not get the proper care as he was misdiagnosed by his primary care doctor.
“What I discovered was that I lost my son to something so common that it is described as the third leading cause of death in the United States: medical error, Murphy said. It’s really a secret epidemic. Up to 400,000 people die a year due to medical errors and nobody is talking about it.”
Murphy said a review of Quin’s medical records later revealed that Quin’s symptoms were psychosomatic. Murphy said in the medical records, Quin’s doctor recommended that Quin see a psychiatrist.
Murphy said he knew his son’s diagnoses was not mental as Quin was losing significant weight during this time.
Aside from the book, Murphy keeps his son’s legacy alive through the Quin Murphy Foundation, a nonprofit that annually raises money to award scholarships to high school seniors in the Sweetwater District.
