The parents of a premature baby are suing a Florida hospital, claiming their newborn suffered a fatal spinal cord injury at the hands of a worker.

In June 2022, Gianna Lopera and Jahmiah Peets welcomed their daughter Jahxy Peets. Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies. The baby was born via emergency cesarean section at 24 weeks of gestation and was immediately intubated and taken to the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

At the time there was “no evidence of any birth-related trauma”. parents’ complaint On October 17th.

However, an MRI taken about two weeks later showed that Jahxy’s neck was broken. He reportedly suffered a debilitating spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed and unable to breathe on his own, according to court documents.

“This type of spinal cord injury cannot occur without the use of excessive force when touching a newborn baby,” the complaint alleges. “There is no note in the medical record documenting the excessive force incident that caused this traumatic injury, and there is no indication in the medical record that an investigation was conducted to identify and bring to justice the person who caused this devastating injury.”

“There is also no evidence that police were notified that a person with access to the Orlando Health NICU had broken Jahxy’s neck.”

Court documents also allege that after Jahxy was injured, the hospital worker “put her back in the incubator without telling anyone.”

Jahxy allegedly died several months later in November 2022 from the traumatic injury, according to the complaint.

The complaint alleges that “an attempt was made to cover up the cause of Jahxy’s injury” because her neck fracture was “not identified or reported.”

A hospital spokesperson told PEOPLE in a statement that they “will not publicly disclose specific medical cases, but will share that providing care for extremely premature babies is a complex and emotional job for parents, doctors and nurses.”

The statement continued: “We offer our deepest condolences to this family and all families who have lost a child, but we also believe that those providing care in this environment should be judged on facts, not speculation.” To discuss the facts of this case in the appropriate forum.”

Never miss a story — sign up PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter To stay up to date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling juicy stories.

during a press conference On October 21, Peets described the short time he spent with his daughter and called her a “fighter.” Lopera also emphasized that she and Peets “deserve answers” and “want justice for Jahxy.”

“We are heartbroken because we couldn’t protect ourselves from Winnie Palmer Hospital. This is the place that should be safest,” she said through tears. He also claimed, “Every parent whose baby was born Winnie Palmer deserves to know what happened to Jahxy. By covering it up, they are making room for it to happen again.”

“I never got a chance to hear my daughter cry. She never got a chance to meet her siblings or family. We never celebrated a single milestone. We only held her four times in her life,” Lopera continued.

The parents are now seeking compensation for their damages and requesting a jury trial.