Posted on 03/12/2009 12:09:05 PM PDT by Paved Paradise
CLEVELAND — Willie Robinson's parents claimed they couldn't afford medical treatment for the dying 8-year-old boy's cancer, prosecutors said, but they had enough money to pay a veterinarian to treat their pet pit bull for fleas. A Cuyahoga County grand jury on Wednesday indicted William Robinson Sr. and Monica Hussing for involuntary manslaughter, child endangering and felonious assault.
Willie died nearly a year ago, on March 22, shortly after he was admitted to MetroHealth Medical Center suffering from the final stages of Hodgkin's lymphoma, one of the most common and curable of cancers to strike children. The county coroner found that the child died of the cancer and pneumonia, but ruled his death a homicide.
Prosecutors said parental neglect was as responsible for Willie's death as the diseases.
"They never once took him to a doctor," said County Prosecutor Bill Mason. "It just is not right. This kid should be alive today."
Investigators said while Willie suffered without care, his parents paid $87 to have the pit bull, Petey, treated for fleas.
Assistant County Prosecutor Anna Faraglia worked on the case for the past year with police and family members. She said she is outraged by how the parents ignored a child who begged them to take him to see a doctor, but was rejected.
"There were some horrific symptoms," she said. "What weren't they seeing? Even a blind person would have known there was something wrong with him."
The parents were not arrested Wednesday, and have remained free since Willie's death. They will appear in court for an arraignment hearing in about two weeks, Faraglia said.
Are you saying this child should not have been born? And are you trying to compare a 60 year old dying of cancer with a child who was entirely curable - not only that but a child who suffered in AGONY for a year before he died; with not even palliative care once he became terminal.
You are right, people die. You are also very, very callous. I truly pity you, from the very bottom of my heart. I am so thankful to God that although I have many frustrations with how our system works, I have not sunk to the depths of your cynicism.
I think that government should not be involved in healthcare. I believe that charity can do it better. Local charities know where the true need is, not some bureaucrat in DC. And good charities are more responsible with money.
Yes. And that the government will use this kind of story to usher in socialized medicine.
That’s okay. I’m posting on 3 hours of sleep; I wonder what’s worse (LOL).
I’m on the phone with Hubby, son DCed me on the cell and I’m trying to post. That’s comparable to sleep deprivation. LOL
I disagree. This story is about parents. I didn’t see it any other way. Frankly, the VAST majority of the uninsured are in two camps: (1) the lazy and (2) the young who are taking the risk. I know there are many who fall through the cracks b/c they are self-employed or lose their jobs, etc. but these are not the BIG numbers the government likes to toss about.
Let me illustrate, if I may. I’ve known a few people who just don’t like to work - they could get a job with bennies but why when they’ve figured out a way to work the system. Also, my niece is a great case in point for the young. She’s recently married and works part-time; goes to college part-time. Her hubby has a good job but he does not have health insurance. Her daddy tried to get her to wait on the marriage so she’d be covered under his plan but you know how kids are.... so, we talked to her about their need to get a basic insurance plan that’s affordable through COSE or some other group; they can get catastrophic care insurance - they’re young so the odds are in their favor, but nooooo.... they bought two motorcycles and a car.
Were the parents driving big SUVs and watching American Idol on a 9 foot flat screen?
Thank him all you want. I give selflessly to help those that I want to help. I do so because I desire to, not because I am required to.
I am saying that there are children, born unto unfit parents everyday, that should not have been born. Yes. Did I say that they should have been aborted? No.
Some people should be sterilized and means testing should be a must for indigent “parents” before being allowed to procreate.
Have you ever driven through the slum of any major city? We are breeding armys of animals, not children. We are breeding armys of socialist net consumers.
Open your heart and your wallet if you like. I can also direct you to a dozen different charitable organizations that could use your labor, as I provide mine.
I’m nearly 60 and I have seen the ravages of cancer in both young and old in my own family. I have walked through Shriners hospitals visiting kids bearing gifts (besides the gift I have already given) and yes, I’m callous.
It is the kinder, gentler people like you that help to perpetuate this uber class of the needy.
The huge and fat, the scrawny and weak...we screw with evolution everyday. I’m not against having people see doctors. Pay for it. Im not against people getting open heart surgery. Pay for it. What did we have in 1930? A country of callous monsters? No, the generous were still generous.
Now YOU have created a class of the expecting. A wellfare class. Thank you for giving other people my money.
All I’m saying is that it needn’t be this way. Fifty years of not having will (maybe) undo what crime has been done to all of us.
You’ve got it all wrong. You might walk through the hospitals and “give” but your heart is still “wrong.”
As for ME creating this class? I think not. You aren’t all that much older than me and I’ve been a conservative AND a Christian since I was 17 so I have, if anything, always put my money AND my mouth on the side that works AGAINST this liberal stuff.
The difference is that I have compassion for the downtrodden and do not lump everyone in the same boat as you seem to do.
Oh, as for driving through a slum? Yes, in fact, I have, of course I use a different word than you - I call it the “war zone.” I can’t solve the world’s problems so I just pitch in over here in my little neck of the woods as my time and talents allow.
Glad to hear you are helping as you can but a callous heart isn’t going to help you, sir. Honestly. And my soft one isn’t going to hurt anyone either. Honestly. Do not equate soft with “stupid” or “naive.”
I’m glad to hear it. You should be happy to give then.
I wouldn’t want to go to sleep with the burden of the millions of downtrodden that I couldn’t help. I do my part and I sleep well knowing that I did what I could do.
We are talking about healthcare here, and I do lump everyone in the same boat. We are all human. It’s just that some people, like it or not, are yes, I dare say it, more worthy than others. It’s true. You might not like it, but it’s true.
If we were talking about other social ills, such as crime, as an example, I have a cure for that too. We are probably much closer to agreeing on that subject.
Who said soft equals stupid or naive? Not me. I will say this however. If soft is “code” for another socialist money grab of my taxes, then you will have a BIG problem with me.
Then it was a cheap trick by the prosecutor to tug at the heartstrings and make people angry by inferring that the parents chose treating their dog for fleas over treating their child for cancer. The truth is that the parents are probably idiots who refused to do anything for their child because they were, well, idiots. I hope they don’t have any more children or we will be left paying for idiots squared.
Did they even take the kid to the doctor in the first place? It appears they didn’t even realize how sick he was.
That's kind of what I was thinking. Their choice of dog breed says a lot about the type of people they are. Actually I am surprised they spent money on the dog. Usually that type of person drives the dog out in the country and abandons it whenever there is a problem.
Nope, apparently, if you believe this hit piece. Like BoT said in the previous post, these folks were horrible parents that were very stupid.
They deserve to be punished and stripped of their kids and reproductive capabilities. I’m not so sure that their kids shouldn’t be painlessly sterilized too, depending on how far along they are and whether competent authorities can deem them to be re-educated.
This system breeds more of the system.
Your posts are so vile. I’m sure that that child suffering unnecessary torturous pain for months was “best for all concerned”.
I understand what you are saying.
I still don’t believe the government should take tax money to provide medical care for anyone; socialism is socialism.
Per your statement you have no problem with a certain amount of my money be taken without my consent to pay for someone else’s care, but who’s opinion of a “nice mix of both” are we relying on to say when enough is enough?
It’s my opinion that we shouldn’t be arguing that the parents are bums because they paid for this over that, but the fact that it appears they made no attempt to ease their boy’s suffering.
Does it break my heart that this boy suffered? Of course. It’s a sad fact of life that people die; sometimes in horrible ways. If people can’t afford to pay for insurance and/or cancer treatment in this case and can’t find a charitable organization that will help, then that’s the unfair part of life. No one deserves or has the right to be treated for cancer. If anyone thinks so they should be voting (D).
Gotta go. Late for Bible study.
Apparently I missed them too. Why don't you post a few links here so we can see for ourselves what you are talking about?
I’ve been working on a paper for school and just logged back on to FR....
In response to your post, I have no doubt that not even socialized medicine would have meant anything in this case. These parents were entitled to free education for their children and one of the kids were in school either. While you may be right about how stories such as this might be spun to meet the agenda of the universal medicine crowd, I just don’t think that was why they didn’t take the kid to the doctor - $75 is cheaper than $87 and they apparently priced their kid out at that number.
I do not mind the government taking a portion of my money via taxes to help those in need. While I would prefer that this be done in a totally voluntary manner, I am not so sure that Americans in this present day would be so compassionate necessarily. Although I do think we are the most generous of any nation and have opened up our wallets and checkbooks time and time again.
My issues are with the accountability of the use of the money and that it, more often than not, goes to those who are NOT in need but are simply lazy. I don’t mind supporting those who have served this country and are now wounded or suffering, the orphaned, the truly ill or disabled and so on. My faith teaches me to be charitable and I try to follow my faith. It’s not OUR fault that the idiots are in control and not being good stewards of our money.
And I disagree with you about the cancer. Maybe it’s not a “right” but as a Christian, we should not turn a blind eye. If you follow your line of thinking to the nth degree, we would reinstate debtors’ prisons and somehow I just don’t think you would want that.
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