Ava was writhing in pain because she broke her neck during her bike accident. She had had an x-ray at Joondalup's hospital, however, to everyone's surprise, she was sent home.
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Ava's neck was broken in four places but doctors said it was just muscle pain. Ava's mother claimed that doctors did not see anything on the x-ray. Two days after her discharge from the hospital, a radiologist called Ava's family back to ask them to return to the hospital, 200 km from their home.
It was upon their arrival that the Amato family learned that Ava had four fractures in her neck and a severed ligament. The hospital later apologized for the tension and pressure raised by doctors' misdiagnosis and the absence of a radiologist in Ava's case study.