Family Of Woman Killed At Medspa Wants Stricter Licensing
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- The family of a woman who died after going to a Baltimore County medspa is now asking state lawmakers for help in making these kinds of facilities safer.
Monique Griego has more on the proposed bill.
The woman died after getting liposuction at a spa in Timonium. That's when her family realized these types of facilities really don't have anyone watching over them.
Last September, the Monarch Medspa in Timonium was shut down by state health leaders after several patients were hospitalized with a bacterial infection. One of them, 59-year-old Eula Witherspoon, would die just days after getting liposuction there.
"Unbearable. The worst thing that could happen to anyone, so unexpected," said Michele Thompson.
Witherspoon's sister--Michele Thompson--was then shocked to learn how lax regulations for spas are in Maryland. Few states require medspas to be licensed or inspected.
Thursday, Witherspoon's family gathered in Annapolis to ask House lawmakers to change that with a new bill.
"Not to know that there are no regulations and that spas can do what they want to do, it's frightening," Thompson said.
The proposed law would widen the definition of what a cosmetic surgery procedure is and would require all facilities performing them to be licensed by the state.
"There are regulations on restaurants, you would assume there are regulations on procedures such as this," said Thompson.
Medspas can perform everything from facials to fillers and even surgery.
The Monarch Medspa in Timonium is no longer open.
Nationwide, medspas are popping up in numbers. Witherspoon's family believes they need to know someone is watching.
"She just didn't deserve to die like that and we don't want anybody else to die like that," said Willard Witherspoon, victim's brother.
