IL - Jaylen Brown, 13, disabled, dies of neglect, Chicago, 15 May 2008

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golfmom

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I just can't imagine how painful this must have been . . .

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-boy-homicide-web-may17,0,7404667.story

Bedsores 'bone-deep' despite 24-hour care by 2 licensed nurses

Jaylen Brown needed round-the-clock care, and the 13-year-old developmentally disabled boy with cerebral palsy was supposed to have it. His mother had the help of two licensed practical nurses to care for her son seven days a week at their South Side home.

And yet the boy died Thursday of complications from "bone-deep bedsores" that the Cook County Public Guardian called a "a disgusting case of neglect" that a number of people should have seen before it was too late.

The boy's death has been ruled a homicide, with the cause being blood poisoning from neglected severe bedsores, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.
 
Oh for feck's sake — was this a conspiracy of neglect or something?

life must have been hell on earth for the poor mite! :furious::furious::furious:

bung 'em in the clink! :behindbar:behindbar:behindbar
 
I've always said we should have been created to need some minor little surgery or some type of "treatment" to enable us to reproduce. Wouldn't solve all the problems of the world, but at least it would cut way down on situations like this. Add to teen mom and then young mom with too many kids, one child who is seriously disabled - no defense for mom or nurses, but this was a disaster waiting to happen from day one. And how protected are the other two kids with relatives? I mean unless there was no relationship at all, they must have known things weren't right?
 
I'll withhold judgment until more is known. I recall reading that Christopher Reeves had horrible bedsores that could not be "fixed" (I believe sepsis from the sores was a cause of his death, IIRC) - and he had the best care, I'm sure. My prayers for this family.
 
Is it wrong of me to think the 73 yr old nurse might not have been really that able to "nurse" that well? I don't know what the boy weighed, but my 8 yr old is about 60 pounds and I know I'd need help to move her around if she was that severely handicapped.

His mom was a single mom w/3 kids. Was she working outside the home too? Why didn't those doctors call CPS if they were so concerned? Surely they could have made home visits! I'm not blaming them, just asking....

This is just so sad. I feel sorry for him as he must have been in a lot of pain before he died. :(
 
southcitymom said:
I'll withhold judgment until more is known. I recall reading that Christopher Reeves had horrible bedsores that could not be "fixed" (I believe sepsis from the sores was a cause of his death, IIRC) - and he had the best care, I'm sure. My prayers for this family.
Click to expand...

You know my dad had horrible sores that turned to sepsis. He was being treated, but after he died, we found out that they were treating the wounds incorrectly. Different sores require different wound care. I never knew this and neither did the nurses or doctors on the case. It was a wound care specialist who was called in much later who told us this.
By then it was too late.
 
csds703 said:
You know my dad had horrible sores that turned to sepsis. He was being treated, but after he died, we found out that they were treating the wounds incorrectly. Different sores require different wound care. I never knew this and neither did the nurses or doctors on the case. It was a wound care specialist who was called in much later who told us this.
By then it was too late.
Click to expand...

I am so sorry about your Dad.

My Dad who is diabetic got a bed sore last Autumn. Being a diabetic makes it harder for any wound to heal, esp a bed sore. They are extremely painful...just can't imagine what this young man suffered through:mad:
 
csds703 said:
You know my dad had horrible sores that turned to sepsis. He was being treated, but after he died, we found out that they were treating the wounds incorrectly. Different sores require different wound care. I never knew this and neither did the nurses or doctors on the case. It was a wound care specialist who was called in much later who told us this.
By then it was too late.
Click to expand...

I'm so sorry to hear that about your Dad, csds. :blowkiss: My friend (a doctor) tells me a number of people get sepsis and die from bed sores each year - even when treated correctly.

I'm not saying the poor boy wasn't neglected. I just believe that I don't have enough information to know that yet. Any way you look at it, it is heartbreaking. I believe this boy is in a better place now, free from a compromised body and from pain.
 
I'll withhold judgment until more is known. I recall reading that Christopher Reeves had horrible bedsores that could not be "fixed" (I believe sepsis from the sores was a cause of his death, IIRC) - and he had the best care, I'm sure. My prayers for this family.
Click to expand...


I agree. I'm a nurse, and have seen and treated some heinous decubitus ulcers (bedsores) in my time. Yes, decubs to the bone, and decubs I could fit my fist in. They sometimes also tunnel subcutaneously into surrounding tissue, adding to the challenge. It is not always due to neglect. Once even a minor one develops, particularly in someone whose system is already compromised, or cannot move at all on their own, it can worsen very, very quickly into a nightmare. I have seen decubs that were literally treated around the clock (q 4 hours) by very competent staff, just worsen and worsen.

We'll see what this brings...I am not willing to demonize the family or the nurses at this point.

Is it wrong of me to think the 73 yr old nurse might not have been really that able to "nurse" that well?
Click to expand...

Possibly...when I was fresh out of school, my preceptor (i.e. the nurse who taught me everything nursing school didn't, which was a LOT) was a 75 year old army nurse who had served in WWII. She remains the best nurse I have ever personally observed or worked with, and she worked until she was 78. On the other hand, she was probably rather unique.

Edited: To explain 'preceptor', I was afraid maybe someone wouldn't know the term.
 
I truly hope this boy was not neglected. What a horrifying painful death.
 
crumbsnatcher said:
I agree. I'm a nurse, and have seen and treated some heinous decubitus ulcers (bedsores) in my time. Yes, decubs to the bone, and decubs I could fit my fist in. They sometimes also tunnel subcutaneously into surrounding tissue, adding to the challenge. It is not always due to neglect. Once even a minor one develops, particularly in someone whose system is already compromised, or cannot move at all on their own, it can worsen very, very quickly into a nightmare. I have seen decubs that were literally treated around the clock (q 4 hours) by very competent staff, just worsen and worsen.

We'll see what this brings...I am not willing to demonize the family or the nurses at this point.



Possibly...when I was fresh out of school, my preceptor was a 75 year old army nurse who had served in WWII. She remains the best nurse I have ever personally observed or worked with, and she worked until she was 78. On the other hand, she was probably rather unique.
Click to expand...

Welcome, crumbsnatcher! Thank you for your perspective!:)
 
How could this NOT be neglect?
The boy didn't see a single doctor for seven months before he was taken to the hospital with these sores. I understand that bedsores are hard to treat but isn't there a point at which a nurse or parent are supposed to get a clue and realize maybe the kid needed to see a real doctor, not just home care?

Also, he went to the hospital in August 07 and was supposed to return in 4-6 weeks because he had lost 20 pounds, etc. The mother waited until March 08 when he was in respiratory failure and had these bedsores that just killed him. Sounds pretty criminal to me.
 
My grandma laid in bed for 5 years before her death and with great care from relatives and hospice she rarely got bedsores and those she did get were treated quickly. She never once had a major infection from them and she was unable to move at all.

I cannot think of any excuse for this besides laziness.
 
pixies said:
My grandma laid in bed for 5 years before her death and with great care from relatives and hospice she rarely got bedsores and those she did get were treated quickly. She never once had a major infection from them and she was unable to move at all.

I cannot think of any excuse for this besides laziness.
Click to expand...

My grandmother was in her own bed at home for over 5 years and not once got a bedsore. We were very fortunate to find great home care nurses. I can't praise them enough for the devoted care they provided.
 
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