On December 5, 2024, Amanda “Mandy” Sylvester, 15, experienced a medical emergency while attending volleyball practice at the Tracey Wyatt Recreation Center in College Park, Georgia. People at the scene called 911, but it reportedly took more than 40 minutes for Grady Health to dispatch an ambulance. Her family now believes that delay contributed to Mandy losing her life later that evening. They are now suing.
According to 11 Alive, the case is being handled by nationally known civil rights attorney Ben Crump. Crump is also representing another Mississippi family in a case involving allegations of excessive force by police during a shoplifting response that left a 1-year-old dead. He continued his advocacy work by announcing a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against Grady on June 26.
According to Mandy’s mother, Barbara Sylvester, her daughter suffered a cardiac arrest during volleyball practice. She explained, “Took me 45 minutes to get my child to the hospital, 45 minutes I listened to my baby be in pain and struggle. And then when I got to the hospital, I had to drop her off because I had to go park. I couldn’t stay with my baby.” Later that evening, Mandy died at the hospital.
Crump is now accusing Grady of failing to have an ambulance readily available when 911 was called regarding Mandy’s condition. According to the attorney, the medical institution also failed to inform callers of that critical fact. During the press conference announcing the lawsuit, Crump said, “Had they known that Grady did not have any ambulances available, they could have had more precious minutes, at least 25-30 minutes to try to come up with a solution to save this baby’s life.”
Grady Health’s response to the allegations was measured and provided little insight into how it plans to defend the lawsuit. The healthcare institute stated that it “intends to respond through the appropriate legal process.” It also added that laws protecting patient medical information limit its ability to comment on the allegations.
Mandy’s father, Anthony Sylvester Jr., used the announcement of the lawsuit to pay tribute to his daughter, describing her as caring, intelligent, and on track to become valedictorian. Anthony added, “It hurts because, as everyone said, when you call 911, you expect help to show up, you expect them to be there. It’s not a worry that we had, but it’s a worry that we have now. Because we were always told, you call, and they show. We see that it’s not the case; we lived the fact that it’s not the case.”
Barbara added that ever since the tragedy, she cannot help but notice Grady Health billboards that read, “I wouldn’t be here without Grady.” She said she would give anything for her daughter to have been on one of those billboards before adding, “But instead I get to say, I would be here but for Grady.”
Reportedly, College Park Fire and Rescue arrived at the Tracey Wyatt Recreation Center just minutes after Mandy collapsed. However, responders remained outside, citing state licensing rules, until Barbara herself decided to transport her daughter to the hospital.
Published: Jun 21, 2026 02:27 pm