Parents Indicted In Son's Cancer Death

(AP)  The parents of an 8-year-old boy who died from Hodgkin's lymphoma were indicted Wednesday on charges they denied him medical treatment.

Willie Robinson, who collapsed at his home on March 22, 2008, had begged his parents to take him to see a doctor but was rejected, prosecutors said.

While the boy suffered, his parents, who claimed they didn't have much money, paid $87 to have a pit bull treated for fleas, investigators said.

"They never once took him to a doctor," said Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason. "It just is not right. This kid should be alive today."

A grand jury indicted the parents, William Robinson Sr. and Monica Hussing, on charges of involuntary manslaughter, child endangering and felonious assault.

A message seeking comment was left after business hours for Margaret Isquick, an attorney who has represented Hussing.

Cuyahoga County Coroner Frank Miller ruled that Willie was the victim of medical neglect - he died from pneumonia due to Hodgkin's lymphoma. "HOMICIDE," concludes the coroner's verdict.

Hodgkin's lymphoma is a highly treatable cancer with as many as 95 percent of patients in early stages of the disease surviving for five years or more with treatment. It's also one of the most common forms of cancers to strike children.

[Meg003]

In most cases a parent can get health care for a child, regardless of ability to pay. A risky, low-success operation like a bone marrow transplant may not be available, but most procedures are. A family I know lost health care insurance when the husband was laid off. The child's mother was fired because she had to keep taking off to care for her terminally ill child.

The hospital billed the parents for ongoing treatments until the child died, but never went after them when they could pay only a small amount each month. After the child died, they never received another bill.

[cin313]

Solarrays 247 - I live in Michigan. There was a Federal law passed in 1986 called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) which prohibits patient dumping, or refusing emergency treatment to people regardless of their ability to pay. If what you described actually happened to your friend, it is against federal law, unless the hospital that she went to does not take Medicare, which is extremely rare.

[presjfk]

" People raise cane and yell about skilled workers making too much for building cars......but a an MRI here in Texas runs about 3000.00 for a procedure that takes five minutes....how many times does that machine get paid for in a years time? All medical costs are way overpriced...a simple visit to the doctor for the flu or a cold.....can cost anywhere from 300-1000.00$.......what happened to that old doctor that would take a chicken in trade for driving twenty miles to treat you?,,,,,,,The old American way of looking out for each other is long gone....now we have to watch out for vultures every time we go out the door.
Posted by tincup356"

You nailed it . The day is soon approaching where the greed and corruption of this health care system is going to bring itself to its knees.

[Solarrays247]

In Cleveland, there's no excuse for denying a child health care. There are low-cost and no-cost health clinics all over town and just about every hospital will take a child who has no insurance.

It's pathetic and horrible that they were just too lazy to take their child to a doctor!
Posted by peacefulperson at 9:59 AM : Mar 14, 2009

The citizens of Cleveland are very lucky, and the parents of this child are horribly negligent! However, it is also sad that there is such a discrepancy regarding health care in this country. I recently received a call from an old friend. She had sliced her finger, and was at the emergency room of our town's only hospital. The cut was deep, and would not stop bleeding.

Because my friend could not afford insurance, and earned too much to qualify for any kind of medicaid, she was being asked to put a deposit for treatment. She's been going through some rough times. I rushed to the hospital, and took care of the finances for her so that she could be treated. What in the he11 would they have done to my dear old friend if someone could not have come to her aid?

The health system in our country goes beyond greed! I'm grateful that I can afford health insurance, but I don't take it for granted.

I have another friend who is also self-employed like myself. She is considering dropping her health insurance, because when she underwent surgery in July 2008, that surgery cost her a shocking amount out of pocket. I'm suggesting that she keep her health insurance just in case of a catastrophe. She has a good business, and a lovely home....would hate to see her at risk to lose everything that she has built up. But she came back with "I could lose everything even with health insurance." Sad fact.....she is correct.

[Solarrays247]

Every city and county has a public health service clinic. If they had started by taking him there he would have been treated. All emergency rooms are required to treat everyone who shows up, insurance or not, so he would have been treated there. They could have also called 911, he would have been treated then. And why aren't pit bulls outlawed nationwide yet? Read the statistics on them, less then 3% of all dogs, responsible for 55% of all deaths by dog.
Posted by bobford5 at 4:41 PM : Mar 14, 2009

Would you mind telling me what state do you live in?

[Solarrays247]

Posted by cin313 at 11:32 AM : Mar 14, 2009

Would you mind telling me what state do you live in?

[msay3]

Funny, I get just as angry having to pay taxes to support OTHER PEOPLE'S kids *I* don't want, didn't ask for nor care about. Funny cause I fully fund the care of all of my dogs which is not tax deductible, not even the medical care and don't ask anyone for one cent for their care, yet it seems everyone else is happy to force me to pay for their dam KIDS!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I agree....I'd rather have dogs than kids any day.....They (dogs) never sass you back, don't borrow your clothes, don't ask to borrow the car, and when they get pregnant you can sell their kids......

[bobford5]

Every city and county has a public health service clinic. If they had started by taking him there he would have been treated. All emergency rooms are required to treat everyone who shows up, insurance or not, so he would have been treated there. They could have also called 911, he would have been treated then. And why aren't pit bulls outlawed nationwide yet? Read the statistics on them, less then 3% of all dogs, responsible for 55% of all deaths by dog.

[tincup356]

People raise cane and yell about skilled workers making too much for building cars......but a an MRI here in Texas runs about 3000.00 for a procedure that takes five minutes....how many times does that machine get paid for in a years time? All medical costs are way overpriced...a simple visit to the doctor for the flu or a cold.....can cost anywhere from 300-1000.00$.......what happened to that old doctor that would take a chicken in trade for driving twenty miles to treat you?,,,,,,,The old American way of looking out for each other is long gone....now we have to watch out for vultures every time we go out the door.

[cin313]

Emergency rooms are required to see everyone regardless of whether or not they have insurance or how much of an emergency it is. There is also a system in place for "no doc" coverage to get follow up for these folks in office afterwards if they don't have a physician. The primary care physician on no doc call that day HAS TO see them in follow up. They will be billed for all of this, but they won't have to pay up front. (Actually, in our office we never ask anyone to pay up front unless they have a history of never paying their bills)

Also, if they don't qualify for Medicaid and they are still truly low income, there may have been other options available for them. Our county has a County Health Plan, which is basically a general assistance type of plan, that gets them in the door - the person will pay $5 for all doctor's office visits, and that is literally all the doctor's office gets, there is no "insurance coverage". It's really sort of charity care. They also pay for tests on a sliding scale depending on income, so the hospital or facility eats the rest of the cost.

There are systems in place for low income people, sure it's not perfect and you have to do some leg work and it is spotty and it really needs an overhaul. But there is absoultely, positively no excuse for this couple not getting help for their son. They deserve to be charged.