Nurses found guilty in teen's starvation death

(AP) DAYTON, Ohio - Two nurses have been found guilty of charges in the malnutrition death of a 14-year-old Ohio girl who had cerebral palsy and weighed 28 pounds when she died.

A prosecutor says 43-year-old Kathryn Williams of Englewood and 64-year-old Mary Kilby of Miamisburg pleaded no contest Friday in Dayton. They each were found guilty of two counts of failing to provide for a functionally impaired person.

Authorities say Makayla Norman had numerous signs of neglect when she died March 1, 2011. They say the women were to do inspections and health assessments of Makayla at her home.

Defense attorneys did not immediately return calls. Sentencing is Oct. 24.

Another nurse is to go on trial Nov 5. Norman's mother has been sentenced to nine years for involuntary manslaughter and other crimes.

[seandgreen]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/06/angela-norman-makayla-malnutrition-death-cerebral-palsy_n_1409027.html

Better story, and much more complete.

Sad. :(

[tmittelstaed]

The problem here is the way our medical system is setup.

There is no possible way that a family can afford the cost of institutionalized care of a child with this kind of disability. No way at all - unless they are millionaires.

The only way it can be done is when the government pays for it. But, the family cannot qualify for government assistance unless they spend everything they have. It's called a medical spend-down, Google it up if you don't understand.

So to put a girl like this into an institution the institutions won't accept her unless she is on government assistance. But to get on assistance the family has to basically get rid of everything they own. Meaning that any other children they have will pay the price.

I am not excusing what the mother did. She is serving time because of it. But clearly there's more to the story when 2 separate nurses colluded with the mother to stop feeding the child.

[aurum79-2009]

Want more medical care like this? Vote Republican, or don't vote at all, in November.

[Montana5]

There is no excuse for this happening in any system of care. These four women have earned a special place in hell.

[Jeska123123]

This is truly aweful. 28 pounds, seriously? My 3 year old weighes that much, and he's small. I hope everyone involved gets the max at sentencing. Poor child must've suffered terribly.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

My one year old weighs nearly that and she is nothing close to overweight. 31.5 inches long and 25 pounds......

[Lerianis4]

The question we should be asking ourselves was "Why was this done?" Was the girl so hard to take care of and to get to eat that something like this was going to happen regardless?

There comes a point where a disabled family member is just too much for a family to take care of and they should be put in a home somewhere.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

Put all 4 of these sorry broads in prison and then starve them to death.

[MEA64]

I'm with you USMC Sergeant, this sickens me, what monsters!