Mother, Grandmother Charged In Diaper Rash Death (Toddler Dead)

[matcom]

<snip>

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. -- The mother and grandmother of a toddler who died in December face criminal charges for allegedly neglecting his severe diaper rash, leading to a fatal infection.

Amy Livingston, 27, of Johnstown, was charged Tuesday with involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment in the Dec. 12 death of her 15-month-old son, Harley. She was charged with a second count of child endangerment because another son, 3-year-old Hunter, also had severe diaper rash, authorities said.

Her mother, Evelyn Ann Mrsnik, 60, was charged with child endangerment, because she was a supervisor at a day care center Harley attended. Mrsnik had an obligation under state law to report the alleged neglect, District Attorney David Tulowitzki said.

The younger boy developed sepsis, a life-threatening infection, because the rash was so bad, Cambria County Coroner Dennis Kwiatkowski said.

"It's probably the worst I've ever seen," Kwiatkowski said.

http://www.wftv.com/irresistible/4267495/detail.html

[xmas74]

1. How hard can it be to take care of diaper rash?

There were times that I didn't have any money for ointments, so I kept my child's exposed to the air (to dry it out) and spent 89 cents on a can of shortening at Aldi's (Crisco really does work-it'll usually heal up in a couple of hours). When my daughter was an infant we were poor but we weren't dirty. And I never would have let it gone this far.

[happyslug]

2. Here is the local article

http://www.tribune-democrat.com/articles/2005/03/09/news/news01.txt
Here is a picture of the Mother:


Some comments on the Tribune Democrat, first it has a policy of "No Scandal to small for us" AND they fact-checking leaves a lot to be desired (Yes, almost scandal Sheet level of Fact Checking).

Furthermore ever since the Gaddis Case of the early 1990s (Which was a horrible case where CYS dropped the ball and left kids in a filthy house for years before CYS intervene) Cambria County CYS has been very aggressive at its job, in many ways to aggressive, charging people when all that is needed is some assistance and guidance (Yes I work with these people and was doing CYS cases at the time of the Gaddis Case).

Thus watch what you read about this case, between CYS and the Tribune Democrat you can have a case blown out of proportion with the Tribune Democrat being the worse offender.

Local Color: Oakhurst homes is one of the local Public Housing Projects built during WWII to provide housing for the steel industry. Some of the buildings were recently torn down do to a persistent 15% vacancy rate in the projects (The Steel mills closed down in the 1980s and most of the Steel Workers moved out of Oakhurst in the 1950s).

Richland Township is the richest Suburb of Johnstown. Not Pricey, but that is where the Mall is and where most retailing is done today.

[northzax]

3. aw, crap

I was going to wear that coat tonight. damnnation

[Rabrrrrrr]

5. She sure as hell looks like she has some issues

Sadly, that's basically how I pictured her looking. Tacky hair, some kind of faux "don't mess with me" clothing, a look in the face that says the space behind it is kinda empty and self-focused and quite likely often angry, and which, also sadly, hides a lot of pain that she can't let out because her parents have so twisted her into not allowing it out.

Wouldn't be surprised if she were abused as a child as well.

Very sad.

[AlCzervik]

4. that means they left that baby in the same diaper for days most likely

[xmas74]

6. That's what I thought.

Kids get diaper rash. Keeping the area clean and airing it out usually helps keep it from spreading.

[AlCzervik]

8. exactly, how hard is it to change a diaper?

i remember when my daughter was cutting her first tooth, i must have changed her diaper 10 times a day followed up with a bath every night.

[xmas74]

9. Even if you didn't have the money for diapers,

how hard would it have been to put a towel down on the floor and let the baby play on it? Sure, a little messy at times, but the diaper rash would have healed up quickly. I bet that baby was just caked w/ filth.
And the three year old-shouldn't she have been pottytraining him? It sounds like he should have been wearing his Underroos (I wonder if they still make them-I couldn't find them for my daughter) instead of having a rash.

[Lars39]

7. I'm bettin' they rationed diapers.

Besides being cruel or ignorant.
I once took care of an infant in a church nursery that had a very bad
case of diaper rash.

When I questioned the momma,
she acted very unconcerned and replied that she would only change the baby's diaper
X times/day, and the baby would have to adjust. :grr:

I remember wishing the worst case of yeast infection and hemmoriods
imaginable on her.

[RebelOne]

10. Another son, 3 years old have diaper rash also.

What was he still doing in diapers at 3 years old? He should have been potty-trained by that age.