The Peace Corps has agreed to pay a settlement of $750,000 to the family of Bernice Heiderman, a 24-year-old volunteer from Illinois who died in 2018 in East Africa after her case of malaria was misdiagnosed by the agency's doctors. The announcement was made on Tuesday by the law firm Schiffer Hicks Johnson PLLC, which filed a federal lawsuit for damages on behalf of the Heiderman family.

Bernice Heiderman, who hailed from Inverness, Illinois, passed away in January 2018 on the island nation of Comoros. Prior to her death, she had texted her mother expressing her frustration with the Peace Corps doctor who was not taking her symptoms seriously. She complained of dizziness, nausea, fever, and fatigue, but was told to drink water and take aspirin. According to Adam Dinnell, a partner at Schiffer Hicks Johnson PLLC, the Peace Corps doctor failed to recognize her condition and provide proper treatment.

Julie Heiderman, Bernice's mother, expressed her disappointment in the Peace Corps, stating that they treated the family "horrifically." She revealed that the agency refused to communicate with them without their attorney present and delayed returning Bernice's body to the family until after extended family had gathered in Illinois for the funeral. Julie Heiderman emphasized that her daughter had always dreamed of joining the Peace Corps and felt a deep sense of patriotism in serving her country.

In response to the settlement, the Peace Corps issued a statement expressing their mourning for Bernice Heiderman's loss. They acknowledged her as a remarkable volunteer admired by her students and community in Comoros. The agency emphasized their commitment to the health and safety of their volunteers and stated that they would ensure a safe and successful experience for every volunteer.

It was later discovered through a post-mortem test that Bernice Heiderman had died of malaria. An investigation conducted by the Peace Corps' inspector general revealed that the doctor in Comoros and the agency's head medical officer in Washington had ignored directives and failed to follow standard protocols. They did not order a simple blood test that could have detected the easily treatable disease. The inspector general's review also found that Heiderman had not been following her required malaria suppression medication regime for several months prior to her death.

The Peace Corps has faced criticism in the past for its medical care provided to volunteers. This settlement marks a rare occurrence as suing the government under federal tort law is a complicated process. Adam Dinnell noted that he could not find records of any similar monetary settlements by the Peace Corps.

In 2018, Congress passed legislation to improve the medical care provided by the Peace Corps to its volunteers, prompted in part by a previous investigation by The New York Times in 2014 that exposed medical missteps leading to the death of another volunteer. The Peace Corps has also faced recent legal action from applicants whose invitations were rescinded due to mental health reasons, alleging discrimination and failure to provide reasonable accommodations.

The Heiderman family's lawsuit accused the Peace Corps of negligent medical care in Africa and held Peace Corps medical officials in Washington responsible for their failure to intervene. Julie Heiderman expressed her anger towards the agency for blaming her daughter for not taking her malaria prevention medicine, while the inspector general placed the blame on the Peace Corps for not monitoring the volunteers' medication intake.

Though the settlement does not involve an admission of guilt or liability by the federal government, Julie Heiderman sees it as a form of accountability for the Peace Corps' mistakes. She believes that the agency understands that they treated her family terribly, even if they do not openly admit it.