Teen boy with flu-like symptoms dies at Draper facility

[Anonymous]

Has any information been relaeased publicly about this case?
The cause of death?  A 14 year-old has "flu-like-symptoms" and dies in his sleep?
Is there an investigation going on?
Why aren't the parents speaking out?
Why isn't the media after this story?

[Anonymous]

Not exactly mainstream media, but here's the latest I could find. Interesting bias from the cops: "We want to make sure no negligence was involved."

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,695192977,00.html

Youth's death is still under review

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

      DRAPER — The Salt Lake district attorney will be asked to decide what, if any, charges should be filed in connection with the death of a 14-year-old boy at a youth treatment facility in Draper.
      The Southern California boy, whose name was not released, was found dead at the Youth Care of Utah on June 28. He had been
      suffering from stomach and bowel problems and placed in a room separate from the others. In the morning, he was found dead on his mattress.
      Draper Police Sgt. Gerry Allred said Monday an autopsy had been completed, but he did not want to comment on it until all factors were looked at.
      "We're looking at it really hard to make sure we're not missing anything," he said.
      Allred said the case was suspicious only because a teenager in the care of adults died.
      "We want to make sure no negligence was involved," he said.
In a statement released by the Youth Care & Pine Ridge Academy shortly after the death, they declared the boy died of a "medical condition."

[Deborah]

Draper Police Sgt. Gerry Allred said Monday an autopsy had been completed, but he did not want to comment on it until all factors were looked at.
"We're looking at it really hard to make sure we're not missing anything," he said.

What did the ME determine to be the cause of death? He certainly could disclose that without "commenting" on it.

[Anonymous]

This boy was "found dead on his mattress?"

Was this child placed in some type of "seclusion room?"
Wouldn't most people report that he was "found dead in his BED?"

What the hell is going on here?

[Anonymous]

Here is a question for you, "WHY IN THE HELL DIDN'T THEY TAKE HIM TO THE DOCTOR"??? :wstupid:

[nimdA]

Well he was dead. What is a doctor going to do for him?

[Anonymous]

TSW---if the boy was sick enough to DIE during the night; don't you THINK perhaps he may have been sick enough to have been taken to the doctor PRIOR to being placed in some room alone to die while unattended?

The poster was asking:  Why didn't someone take this sick child to a doctor?
Why was this child placed in a room, (on a mattress) and left unatteded to DIE?
That's a valid question.

[Anonymous]

Ha ha very funny TSW, I was referring to BEFORE, he died, when he was sick!  Did they think he was manipulating???Of course, it is all programed into the Program, he is a faker, whinner, manipulator. yahda yahda ...blah. ::deal::

[Anonymous]

                             
Are people going to be held accountable for this one/ Or be swept around like the rest/

[Pitbull Mom]

Update on status of this case and lack of action in Utah
-The criminal investigation is ongoing.

-Office of Licensing issued a 90 day license suspension on 9/1/07 for failing to follow proper emergency procedures resulting in teen's death.

-Youth Care contested the suspension, which moves it to an informal hearing.

-Pitbull Mom requested to be present at the hearing to determine the status of the license for the facility that let her son die.

-Mom was told that was up to the judge, since she was not being called as a witness.

-A pre-hearing conference was scheduled for the week of Oct 8 to discuss hearing issues. At the same time, mom was told the Office of Licensing may reach a settlement agreement with Youth Care before the hearing is held, and thus the hearing may not be held.

-Mom complained that
1. The facility should have been shut down pending the investigation, and the parents of all the kids at the facility be notified of the license review and criminal investigation.
2. A complaint of staffing violations made just after son's death was not investigated and should be part of the review of the license.
3. The action taken in Nevada in closing down Sky View Academy was a good example of appropriate action after an allegation of abuse.
4. Inappropriate action by the Office of Licensing in the deaths of Michelle Sutton, Kristen Chase, Aaron Bacon, Katherine Lank, Ian August, 2 unknown suicide victims, and Elisa Santry are directly related to the lack of proper emergency medical care at Youth Care on June 28, 2007, resulting in the death of Brendan Blum.
5. Youth Care received the autopsy results under mysterious circumstances before the results were released.

Mom was told by the Attorney General's office that "many of the issues and questions that you have been raising are beyond the legal authority of the Office of Licensing to answer/resolve."

[Deborah]

2 youth counselors charged in boy's death
14-year-old was staying at treatment center in Draper
By Pat Reavy and Rebecca Palmer
Deseret Morning News
Published: Oct. 12, 2007 12:14 a.m. MDT

Two counselors at a residential youth treatment center in Draper where a 14-year-old boy died in June were charged Thursday in connection with the boy's death.

Deborah Cole and Jorge Ramirez, from Youth Care Inc., 12600 Minuteman Drive, each face one count of abuse or neglect of a child, a third-degree felony.

On June 27, Brendan Blum of California was suffering bowel and stomach problems. He had been vomiting and suffering from diarrhea all night, said Draper Police Sgt. Gerry Allred. Rather than contacting the on-call nurse as the facility's policy dictates, the boy was simply given some medicine and put in a separate room away from the rest of the boys, he said. The next morning, the boy, who was listed as a disabled child because he had Asperger's syndrome, was found dead on his mattress.

"There was no really good reason why they didn't take him ... no explanation except they just thought it was an upset stomach," Allred said.

An autopsy determined the boy had an obstructed bowel that deteriorated as the night went on, Allred said. The on-call nurse, who was later interviewed by police, said if she had been called to look at the boy she would have advised he immediately go to the hospital, he said.

The Utah State Medical Examiner concurred, "if medical intervention had been obtained, (the boy's) death would have been preventable," according to court documents.

The boy's mother, Dana Blum, said she is appalled that workers at the facility didn't take him to an emergency room. Any time a child dies while in the care of a licensed facility, the facility should be shut down immediately, she said.

Blum has filed a complaint with the Utah licensing board and is waiting for the investigation to be completed.

She hopes the individuals who operated the facility will be held accountable along with the workers.

"I don't wish them any ill, I would just like to see justice done for my son," she said.

The facility issued a statement shortly after the boy's death saying it was the result of a "medical condition." The group home is operated by Aspen Education Group, based in Cerritos, Calif. It is a division of the CRC Health Group, which runs boarding schools, outdoor education programs and weight-loss camps.

Ironically, the charges came one day after the Government Accountability Office in Washington, D.C., found thousands of abuse allegations at camps and other private treatment facilities around the country.

Blum hopes the national attention will result in stricter standards and more accountability across the board.

Brendan was placed in the facility following treatment at a California hospital. Blum said she researched Youth Care Inc. extensively before sending her son there.

"This is double-edged sword for me," she said. "I am not a deadbeat mom."

E-mail: [email protected]

[Deborah]

Four recent Utah deaths in treatment programs
Facility put on probation, but free to take new clients
By Kirsten Stewart
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 10/13/2007 12:55:43 AM MDT

Dana Blum relaxes with her son Brendan at a miniature golf park.... (Photo courtesy Dana Blum )
A residential youth treatment center was cited on Friday for providing inadequate medical care to Brendan James Blum, a 14-year-old California boy who died at its Draper facility.

    Utah licensers placed Youth Care of Utah on probation, requiring the center to, among other requirements, retool employee training. Youth Care was not fined and it is free to accept new clients, though no more than five every 30 days.

    The disciplinary action was reached as part of a settlement between the facility and lawyers for the state Human Services Office of Licensing, which regulates Utah's teen-help industry.

    Licensing director Ken Stettler said he hopes Friday's action shows the state takes its watchdog role seriously.   :rofl: It comes a day after criminal neglect charges were filed against two former Youth Care counselors in connection with Brendan's June 28 death.

    It also coincides with a congressional probe into wilderness camps, which detailed thousands of cases of abuse nationwide since 1990. Of 10 deaths detailed in the federal report, five occurred in Utah.

    The cases showed a pattern of lax government oversight and medical neglect, with counselors assuming the teens were making up their symptoms.

    Brendan Blum's mother, Dana Blum, fears the same issues may have played a role in her son's death.

    Blum said she "feels" for the employees at Youth Care, but said the facility should have been shut down, at least temporarily, and the owners held accountable.

    "Nothing will bring Brendan back," said Blum. "But the bottom line is that when a parent makes a difficult decision to place their child in a treatment program, the management and caretakers have a responsibility to ensure their safety. There shouldn't be any tolerance for the death of a child."
     
Sent to bed
   
    Blum said the coroner described her son's death as "violent and painful." An autopsy concluded that he died after his bowel twisted, cutting off the blood supply to his small intestine.

    Brendan had vomited and been suffering diarrhea all night, according to police. Instead of phoning the on-call nurse, per Youth Care's policy, counselors treated the boy with an over-the-counter medicine and sent him to bed, said Draper police Sgt. Gerry Allred.

    The next morning, Brendan, who had Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism, was found dead on his mattress.

    The on-call nurse, who was later interviewed by police, said had she been consulted, she would have advised sending Brendan to the hospital, said Allred. The Utah State Medical Examiner said with medical intervention, the boy might have survived.
   
'Flu-like' symptoms
   
    Youth Care officials maintain Brendan complained only of "flu-like" symptoms.

    "We extend our deepest sympathies to the family, and we continue to work closely with Utah officials and law enforcement. But we are confident a criminal prosecution will be found unwarranted," said Kristen Hayes, spokeswoman for Aspen Education Group, which owns Youth Care.

    Based in Cerritos, Calif., Aspen is a division of the CRC Health Group, which runs boarding schools, outdoor education programs and weight-loss camps.
 
    For two decades, Youth Care has "delivered the highest standards of care," treating more than 1,300 children with behavioral and addiction problems last year, said Hayes. "All of Aspen's programs either meet or exceed state and national standards."
-WRONG-
   
Aspen's record
   
    Stettler confirmed Aspen's reputation, saying, "They've had a pretty spotless record."

    Three of four recent deaths at Utah treatment programs, however, happened at Aspen facilities: Blum's and two suicides; one in July 2004 at Island View Academy in Syracuse, and another in April at Aspen Achievement Academy of Loa.

    Stettler said the April suicide remains under investigation by law enforcement, but his own probe found Aspen wasn't at fault. The suicide at Island View happened before Aspen purchased the facility.

    Blum said she thoroughly researched Youth Care and Aspen and was never told of the fatalities.

    "If nothing else, I would like to see them create a searchable database so parents can review deaths and complaints and not have to rely on the subjective descriptions of licensors," said Blum.

    The Web site of state licensors has contact information for facilities and shows whether their license is in good standing. But for more detailed information, parents need to phone regulators, who keep only paper files.
   
Sense of justice
   
    Blum has "taken heat" for enrolling Brendan at Youth Care, but she says research shows behavioral modification programs can work for children with Asperger's.

    "The real problem is there are not adequate community resources for kids with mental health problems," said Blum.

    Brendan was "erratic and unpredictable," and started acting aggressively at age 3, said Blum. "There were no consequences that were meaningful to him. You could take away privileges with friends, TV, or PlayStation. It didn't matter."

    Trips to her county mental health facility, school counselors and private therapists yielded no firm diagnosis.

    It wasn't until Brendan turned 13 and got swept up in the juvenile justice system that doctors at a local university diagnosed him with Asperger's.

    "They said he was a textbook case of high-functioning autism and should have been diagnosed at age 8," said Blum.

    Brendan had a "fine-tuned sense of justice. As his mother, I feel I need to make sure Youth Care is held accountable," said Blum.

    "These kids come from families that care about them. They're not just throwaway kids."

    http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_7166739