Just minutes after 10-year-old Marcos Tirado received anesthesia at a local dental office, he was rushed to the hospital.
The Lamar Elementary School fifth-grader died two days later.
It’s a pain no parent wants to endure.
The loss of a child, that’s too young to be gone. It’s a hard reality for the Tirado family in Harlingen.
He was undergoing a tooth filling at Harlingen Family Dentistry off Dixieland Road.
"Every time there was a procedure there was a lot of precautions that had to be done, the time we took him to the dentist, the doctor said it was a simple procedure, but obviously is wasn't." said Marcos Tirado, Sr.
Marcos had a medical condition called Treacher-Collins syndrome; and certain precautions need to be followed.
The family said they made doctors and nurses aware before the procedure.
When they were told Marcos would need to use a gas to keep him calm.
His father showed concern but says the staff assured him it was perfectly safe and routine.
But 10 minutes into the procedure, something went terribly wrong.
"I thought he was in just a little pain, but obviously he was unable to breathe, he just stopped," the grieving father said.
Marcos was rushed to the Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen where doctors were able to revive him.
He stayed in a coma as his parents prayed for a miracle.
But by Wednesday evening, Marcos passed away leaving his family heartbroken.
"He was with us for 10 years and even though he went thru a lot medically he was a happy boy,” the boy’s father recalled. “He surprised us many times but when it’s time to go God gives the call..that's what it is, we'll respect that."
Action 4 News contacted the Harlingen Family Dentistry for comment.
They said they were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Marcos Tirado, Jr. but due to federal patient privacy laws, they said limited information could be given.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the parents and their family at this difficult time,” they said in a statement.
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