General Interest > Feed Your Head
Death at Boys and Girls Town of Missouri
Whooter:
--- Quote from: "Ursus" ---Yes, bringing her to the hospital would have been the right decision. It could have quite possibly, perhaps quite probably, saved her life.
--- End quote ---
I agree with this the same way I agree that staying home on September 11, 2001 if you worked in the World Trade Center in NYC.
If I worked there I would have called in sick that day for sure.
...
Ursus:
--- Quote from: "Whooter" ---
--- Quote from: "Ursus" ---Yes, bringing her to the hospital would have been the right decision. It could have quite possibly, perhaps quite probably, saved her life.
--- End quote ---
I agree with this the same way I agree that staying home on September 11, 2001 if you worked in the World Trade Center in NYC.
If I worked there I would have called in sick that day for sure.
--- End quote ---
Mmm, yes. But that would have entailed having information which was not then readily available to the masses. Perhaps not to anyone, but discussion of those possibilities is far beyond the focus of this thread.
In the case of Heather Marie Hopkins, pertinent information was readily available. Boys and Girls Town of Missouri just chose to interpret it in the least proactive and involved way possible.
At some point during the afternoon prior to her death, I'm assuming it was towards evening, Ms. Hopkins was running a fever of 103.8°F. According to the second article above, "Parents seek answers for death," her mother:
...said she had talked with her daughter at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 1, and Heather told her she "was feeling bad," complaining of being sick with a fever.[/list]
Also according to the second article above, Ms. Hopkins had already had some medication issues and mishaps:
Debbie Hopkins said her daughter had been at Boys & Girls Town 35 days and was due to stay another 60.
She said Heather had been diagnosed as bipolar, with depression and ADHD and had been battling medication issues.
Prior to Heather being admitted to Boys & Girls Town, "There had been a lot of shuffling of Heather among hospitals," noted Debbie Hopkins. "She had been receiving excellent care" up until an apparent medication overdose resulted in another round of hospital changes.[/list]
Now, I don't know what meds she was on, and whether these meds might alter body temperature regulation under circumstances of undue or unfamiliar exertion. Moreover, whether her symptoms might mask some other condition, perhaps even more serious. What was she doing while at the Wilderness Ranch in Steelville? From the first article above, "Cause of teen's death still undetermined,":
"She had a 103.8 degree fever the afternoon before," said Debbie Hopkins, the girl's mother. "She had been out at (the Wilderness Ranch in Steelville) and came back to (her) cottage. They gave her Tylenol and her meds. If she had been at home and was that sick, I would have taken her to the hospital."[/list]
It seems to me, when you're dealing with a kid who may or may not have unpredictable reactions to certain medications, who appears to have been involved in some activities that may or may not involve levels of physical stress that her body may be unfamiliar with, and with whom staff members themselves are less than fully familiar with (she had only been at Boys and Girls Town for 35 days), that a fever of 103.8° would prompt a prudently immediate visit to the ER.
Whooter:
--- Quote from: "Ursus" ---....that a fever of 103.8° would prompt a prudently immediate visit to the ER.
--- End quote ---
I dont know if 103.8 degree fever justifies a trip to the ER. I think we would have to determine if this is the best course of action. I am not a medic so I would have to look this up.
I have had kids with fever that high and we certainly stayed up and watched over them, but we didnt go to the ER for it. The fever came down eventually on its own. Fevers are a way to burn off stuff in our bodies and are also a warning that something serious could be wrong if it lasts a long time.
I think we need more details.
...
Ursus:
--- Quote from: "Whooter" ---
--- Quote from: "Ursus" ---....that a fever of 103.8° would prompt a prudently immediate visit to the ER.
--- End quote ---
I dont know if 103.8 degree fever justifies a trip to the ER. I think we would have to determine if this is the best course of action. I am not a medic so I would have to look this up.
I have had kids with fever that high and we certainly stayed up and watched over them, but we didnt go to the ER for it. The fever came down eventually on its own. Fevers are a way to burn off stuff in our bodies and are also a warning that something serious could be wrong if it lasts a long time.
I think we need more details.
--- End quote ---
You are taking my statement out of context from the rest of that paragraph which, in this case, is quite pertinent.
Let me refresh your memory:
--- Quote from: "Ursus" ---It seems to me, when you're dealing with a kid who may or may not have unpredictable reactions to certain medications, who appears to have been involved in some activities that may or may not involve levels of physical stress that her body may be unfamiliar with, and with whom staff members themselves are less than fully familiar with (she had only been at Boys and Girls Town for 35 days), that a fever of 103.8° would prompt a prudently immediate visit to the ER.
--- End quote ---
[/list]
I should also say that all of the above could easily mask something more serious as well. It is best to be prudent.
Ursus:
The Legacy.com Memorial/Obituary for Heather Marie Hopkins has already slipped into the pay-per-view, but here is another Obit that is still readily accessible:
-------------- • -------------- • --------------
Archived Obituaries
Information
Name: HOPKINS, Heather Marie
Date of Death: Apr 2, 2010
Location of Service: Alternative Funeral & Cremation Services - Saint Peters
Category: Archived Obituaries[/list][/size]
-------------- --------------
Heather Marie Hopkins, age 18 passed away April 2, 2010. She was born March 31, 1992. Loving daughter of Stephen Dale & Debbie Sue Hopkins. Loving sister of Steven Christopher Hopkins. Loving step-granddaughter of Charles Arnett. Loving granddaughter of Roger & Mary Lee Hopkins. Loving niece of Sheila & Brian Gales, Jennifer & Chuck Banderbol, Chris & Lisa Hopkins and Matthew. Was a loving aunt to many nieces & nephews. She was preceded in death by grandfather James Bowman & grandmother Flora Arnett. Funeral Services will be 10:00 A. M. Friday April 9, 2010 at West County Assembly of God 13431 N. Outer 40 Rd. Chesterfield, MO 63017. Visitation will be 4-8 P.M. Thursday April 8, 2010 at the church. Burial will be in St. Charles Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the family.
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Location Name Alternative Funeral & Cremation ServicesMap
Location of Services: Alternative Funeral & Cremation Services
Street: 2115 Parkway Drive
ZIP: 63376
City: Saint Peters
State: MO
Country: us[/list][/size]
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