The family of a Sacramento girl who waited for hours for treatment of an infection that resulted in the amputation of parts of all four of her limbs has agreed to a $10 million settlement with Methodist Hospital and various emergency room workers.

The settlement on behalf of Malyia Jeffers is believed to be one of the largest of its kind in California history.

Malyia was 2 years old when her parents, Ryan Jeffers and Leah Yang, took her in November to Methodist's emergency room with a persistent fever, skin discoloration and weakness. According to their lawsuit, the parents begged for attention by doctors and nurses as Malyia's condition deteriorated.

After about five hours, the lawsuit maintains, Malyia finally was seen by a doctor and was flown to Stanford University's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital for lifesaving care. Physicians there found that Streptococcus A had invaded her blood and organs, and as a result she suffered amputations of both feet, her left hand and part of her right hand.

Stanford doctors said Malyia's sickness may have been the result of a quirk of genetics. They said they are uncertain whether a quicker response would have saved her limbs.

Methodist Hospital spokeswoman Erin MacEneaney said, "We are pleased to have reached a resolution with the family and we wish Malyia only the very best in the future. The Jeffers family continues to be in our thoughts and prayers."

Attorneys for the hospital's parent company, Catholic Healthcare West, Thursday declined to comment on the settlement. Lawyers for both sides said the settlement included a confidentiality agreement that precludes them from discussing it.

Court documents provide details of the settlement. Methodist has agreed to pay $9 million, and the other $1 million is to be paid by Emergency Physicians Medical Group of Sacramento.

Some of the money will be used to repay expenses already incurred by the state's health care plan for the poor, and the family's attorney, Moseley Collins III, is scheduled to collect more than $1.5 million, according to the records.

The rest will be disbursed into a "special needs trust" for the girl's current needs and an annuity that will provide her with $16,000 monthly, plus annual adjustments for cost of living, beginning in 2026 when she turns 18.

Lawyers who specialize in medical malpractice said the settlement is among the highest in California. The state places a $250,000 cap on "pain and suffering," but settlements and jury verdicts can reach into the millions when other types of damages are considered.

"I am very pleased about what we have achieved for Malyia," Collins said Thursday, declining to comment further.

Malyia's medical expenses have been overwhelming, Jeffers said Thursday, and neither he nor Yang have been able to work full time since she became ill. At that time, Jeffers was working part time for a family storage business and selling health supplements online. Yang was attending cosmetology school.

The girl spent more than three months at Stanford and then was admitted to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento for further care. She continues to receive physical and occupational therapy. Insurance has paid for most of her care, but the family was left with hundreds of thousands of dollars in bills, Jeffers said.

Malyia will need expensive medications, custom prosthetics, special garments to cover her limbs and wheelchairs for the rest of her life, he said. Jeffers and Yang also are caring for Malyia's two young stepbrothers, whose lives have been upended by the tragedy, he said.

"I have spent everything that I have in order to take care of my daughter," said Jeffers. "I am down to my last penny just paying for her medications. I am completely broke.

"I have a child who was disabled by a hospital, and it would be nice to know that we will be able to take care of everything," he said. "But I just don't know right now. All I have is a piece of paper that says her needs will be handled."

In recent months Malyia has learned to walk and run on her prosthetic legs, is mastering tasks with her arms and has regained her energy, her father said. She still suffers pain and unbearable itching of her limbs, especially at night, he said, and needs 24-hour care.

"Yes, we got a settlement," Jeffers said. "But all of this has made our lives miserable, and it's not over. It's not."

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Call The Bee's Cynthia Hubert, (916) 321-1082. Bee staff writer Andy Furillo contributed to this report.

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