Girl dies while awaiting liver transplant
A Northridge teenager awaiting a liver transplant died Thursday after she was pulled off of life support.CIGNA Insurance Company initially refused to cover the cost of the transplant for Natalee Sarkisian, saying the surgery was too experimental. On Thursday, friends, family and members of a nurses association held a protest outside CIGNA headquarters in Glendale, urging the insurance company to reconsider.
During the protest, Natalee's mother got word CIGNA had changed its mind and would make an exception for Natalee's surgery. But the decision came too late for Natalee. Just after six o'clock tonight, her condition worsened.
Natalee's family took her off life support and she passed away.Attorneys for the Sarkisian family may pursue legal action against CIGNA HealthCare.