A civil jury in Maine has awarded $25m to a woman whose teenage daughter died from leukemia after being misdiagnosed with a condition linked to steroid-using men.
The hefty verdict delivered in favor of Lyndsey Sutherland on Thursday called for her to receive $10m for the wrongful 2021 death of 15-year-old Jasmine “Jazzy” Vincent as well as $15m for pain and suffering, said her attorney, Meryl Poulin.
Poulin said on Friday that the verdict could be appealed, and an applicable Maine state law caps wrongful death damages at $750,000. Nonetheless, Poulin said, she hoped the amount awarded to her client sends “a clear message that Maine juries are willing to hold medical providers accountable when they fail to meet minimum standards of care”.
“There are so many and yet so few words to capture the impact of this result,” Poulin added in a statement to the Guardian. “Watching Lyndsey continue to push year after year, uphill, against the odds, to get justice for her daughter was beyond inspiring. This result was possible because of her unbelievable perseverance and determination to obtain justice for Jazzy.
“I hope that this verdict will finally bring some peace and closure for the tragic loss of this beautiful, innocent 15-year-old girl.”
Jazzy was initially diagnosed with pneumonia after becoming ill on 14 July 2021, according to reporting from the Maine news outlet WMTW.
A doctor with the Mid Coast Medical Group later concluded Jazzy had gynecomastia, which is an increase in breast tissue that is frequently found in men who use anabolic steroids, as noted by Maine’s Portland Press Herald.
Jazzy subsequently died of cardiac arrest on 1 August 2021, a little more than two weeks after she first indicated she felt sick. It was later determined that Jazzy’s death resulted from a buildup of fluid stemming from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which Sutherland’s attorneys contended was a common kind of pediatric cancer that responds well to treatment if diagnosed appropriately. Sutherland ultimately sued Mid Coast, alleging negligence in the death of Jazzy, who lived in Maine’s New Gloucester area.
Attempts to contact Mid Coast Medical Group for comment were not immediately successful. But WMTW reported that Mid Coast’s attorneys maintained that medical personnel are tasked with making many decisions daily, and honest mistakes should not be punished.
Mid Coast’s attorneys also argued that another provider who first saw Jazzy had some responsibility as well.
Jurors sided with Sutherland after a trial that began on Monday.
Sutherland testified during the trial, according to the Press Herald.
“I don’t want anybody [else] to have to do this,” Sutherland reportedly said on the witness stand while discussing why she was pursuing her lawsuit. “Nobody should have to do this.”
While influenza remains the top concern for Maine public health experts, other viruses are also currently circulating, including norovirus and COVID-19.
“Influenza is clearly the main event,” said Dr. Cheryl Liechty, a MaineHealth infectious disease specialist. “The curve in terms of the rise of influenza cases was really steep.”
Maine reported 1,343 flu cases for the week ending Jan. 3, an uptick from the 1,283 cases recorded the previous week, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Hospitalizations increased to 147 from 108 during the same time periods.
“I hope the peak is now,” Liechty said, “but I’m not really sure.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Friday that all of New England, except for Vermont, is currently experiencing “very high” levels of influenza. Vermont is in the “moderate” category.
“What we are seeing, overwhelmingly, is the flu,” said Andrew Donovan, associate vice president of infection prevention for Northern Light Health. “We are seeing both respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses in our patients.”
Norovirus also appears to be circulating, although due to its short duration and because it’s less severe than the flu, public health data on the illness — which causes gastrointestinal symptoms that typically resolve within a few days — is not as robust.
“Norovirus is the gastrointestinal scourge of New England winters and cruise ships,” Liechty said.
According to surveillance data at wastewater treatment plants in Portland, Bangor and Lewiston, norovirus levels detected in those communities are currently “high.” The treatment plants participate in WastewaterSCAN, which reports virus levels in wastewater through a program run by Stanford University and Emory University.
Dr. Genevieve Whiting, a Westbrook pediatrician and secretary of the Maine chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said viruses are prevalent right now, especially the flu and norovirus.
“For my patients right now, it’s a rare encounter that I hear everyone in a family has been healthy,” Whiting said. “I’ve had families come in and say their entire family has had norovirus. Several of my patients have had ER visits for suspected norovirus, where they needed IV fluids because they were dehydrated.”
Both Liechty and Whiting said they are seeing less respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, likely because there has been good uptake of the new RSV vaccine, which is recommended for older people and those who are pregnant. The vaccine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2023.
“The RSV vaccine has been a real success, as RSV was a leading cause of hospitalizations for babies,” Whiting said.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases increased to 610 in the final week of 2025, compared to 279 the previous week. Influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations are available at primary care, pharmacies and clinics across the state.
“If you haven’t gotten your flu shot yet,” Liechty said, “you should beat a hasty path to get your shot.”
Defensemen Max Wanner was re-assigned to the Maine Mariners from the Providence Bruins on Thursday. Defenseman Michael Underwood was also re-assigned to Maine.
Wanner, 22, was acquired by the Boston Bruins when they traded Trent Federic to Edmonton last March. He played in 15 games for the AHL Providence Bruins at the end of last season, and seven this season.
Underwood returns for his second stint with the Mariners. He appeared in 67 games with Maine last season.
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