Family to announce lawsuit in College Park volleyball player's death

ATLANTA - The family of Amanda "Mandy" Sylvester is expected to announce a lawsuit Friday against Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation and Grady EMS, alleging failures in the emergency response following the 15-year-old's collapse during volleyball practice.

Amanda "Mandy" Sylvester (Supplied)

Attorney Ben Crump and members of the Sylvester family are scheduled to hold a news conference at 10 a.m. Friday at The Enon Church in Atlanta to discuss the legal action.

Questions remain about emergency response

The backstory:

Mandy collapsed during volleyball practice at the Tracey Wyatt Recreation Center in College Park on Dec. 5, 2024. According to her family and attorney Ben Crump, an ambulance did not arrive for nearly an hour after the initial 911 call.

Grady Health System previously said the first call was classified as a low-acuity emergency, meaning the situation was not initially considered life-threatening. A second 911 call later upgraded the response to a higher-priority emergency.

Before an ambulance arrived, Mandy's mother drove her to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding Hospital, where doctors revived her after her heart stopped. She later died that evening.