We cannot know that. Fact is that the many miles from any hospital meant that he had no chance of survival once the attack came.
On the memorial site created by his mother she explain why he was sent away. Strange and partly dangerous behavior made his mother believe that she had no other choice but to choose a so-called residential treatment center.
But she had another choice. It is common knowledge that tumors or birth defects in the brain can push nerves and interfere with common sense.
But none show his behavior as a symptom of a deadly illness. They only saw a troubled teenager in need of a punishment and punishment he certainly got.
No phone calls, no visits, only letter writing. And the mail was not even by computer. A letter of comfort would take days to reach him.
Days of moving rocks, participating in a in-house school with a curriculum which would have been difficult to get credits for back in Texas. That was the sorry life he had to endure until his body couldn't take it anymore.
Hidden birth defects and brain aneurysm kills a lot of people every year. We need to increase awareness of that. Especially we who are parents need to be on alert so we don't commit the same failure and punish our children instead of taking them to a hospital where they can be examined and if possible treated.
May he rest in peace. His fate must never be forgotten.
Sources:
- Victims after year 2010, Fornits Wiki
- Tragic death at Liahona Academy, a thread on the Fornits Home for Wayward Web Fora
- 13 year old killed in boot camp 4/20/05, thread on the message board of the National Youth Rights Association mentioning the incident
To the author:
ReplyDeletePrior to you writing about my son, Taylor, you should have taken the time to contact me, his mother, to gain insight about the facts so that you could post correct information. I am outraged by your post and do not believe you are working in the interest of human right organizations; you are exploiting the innocence of children. We have visited countless doctors, therapists, and local hospitals and not one professional said perhaps we need a brain scan. I am my sons greatest fan and went to extreme lengths regarding his personal care. I have letters from my son that do not reflect a vial facility but praised his therapists and the personal triumphs he accomplished in a very short time. You do not know anything about Taylor's last moments nor do you have any idea about the severity of his BA.
Before you post about another family's struggles, pain, personal information, take the time to gain facts about the child, the family and more importantedly, the facts. I am very vocal and have worked tirelessly to raise awareness about BA and certainly would have taken to time to correct you on your uninformed post.
I would also like to add, I visited the facility, I talked with the children and the staff members. I also have over 40 letters to me from the children in the treatment facility and have relations with 4 children that were close to Taylor, not one of them have a negative word about their experience while in the facility. Taylor's Mom
ReplyDeleteMs. Mangum,
DeleteI went to Liahona Academy with Taylor; I was in his room the night he died from having a brain aneurysm. I met you when you came to visit the facility, and I also was one of those 40 students who wrote you a letter. Here we are ten years later, and a day doesn't go by where I don't think about what happened to Taylor and your family; my heart goes out to you.
I would like to share my perspective of what happened to Taylor throughout his stay, leading up to the night he died.
I graduated from Liahona Academy (both the program and high school). Clay AhQuin and Parker Haslam will preach about supposed high success rates through personal testimonies. There is no real data on this, as it is hard for any statistician or scholar to measure this due to the lack of controls and inconstancies in measuring variables. However, the data we do have on addiction recovery from even the most world-renowned medical treatment centers, the success rate is only 9%. Recovery is a very fragile and phenomenon to pathologize and treat. While Liahona claims they are the best, there is almost no credible evidence to back this up.
I remember when Taylor came to Liahona in November 2009 as many of us went through this process, within 20 minutes of being intake at Liahona; his entire life had before the program was stripped of him.
They shaved his head; he had no access to the outside world, no phone, no internet, no access 911 or a crisis hotline, no one, not even his fellow students could talk to him. Taylor was forced into complete silence and isolation for the rest of this stay.
Taylor would only be allowed to talk to the staff- to ask questions, such as-
Can he use the bathroom?
Can he get a drink of water?
Can he obtain a roll of toilet paper?
Can he take ibuprofen for a headache?
Every letter he wrote to you, was read by staff (Parker, Pete, Clay); and if we wrote anything considered manipulative like
"Mom and Dad,
I don't feel safe here; please take me home.
I have chronic headaches and migraines; I think I need to see a doctor."
If he were to write anything like this, the Liahona staff would have read that letter out loud in a group, and would have humiliated him in front of 40 other students. They would have called him a liar, manipulator, and faker.
So we could avoid being humiliated or punished; most students quickly realize that the only way to get home is to write what the program tells them and become obedient. As some call this, "drinking the Kool-Aid".
They did this to so many of us, so our parents never knew how we felt or what was really happening.
There is so much to be written on this. Essentially I am trying to show you that even if Taylor wanted to reach out to someone about a medical concern, he was too afraid. These programs might have charming buildings and appear safe to parents, but we had fewer rights than prisoners on death row.
Like most of us, Taylor complied because he wanted to see you, he missed his family. So he became obedient, he became silent, he drank the kool-aid.
The night he died, I was the first to witness it. I remember him screaming in pain and scared because he didn't know what was happening. I ran to the staff for help, and the shift supervisor refused to call 911 and had a few of us carry him to a facility van, so they could drive him miles away to have him transported to a local hospital. They didn't call 911 because they didn't want an open investigation; the staff knew better than to have the police come in and have us interviewed and have Taylor's death open for investigation. From Liahona's perspective, we were -"liars, fakers, manipulators, drug addicts, troubled teens".
To them, there is no merit in what we have to say about Taylor's death.
Clay's worst nightmare is to go through what happened WWASP (a similar program to Liahona). When I was at a WWASP facility called Spring Creek Lodge Academy, a girl killed herself, when she did not receive the proper psychiatric help she needed. Her mother spent years fighting and prosecuting WWASP for the negligence of her daughter's death. This and other lawsuits against WWASP brought down WWASP's billion-dollar industry. To this day, there are still many lawsuits against WWASP. I was in both programs, and I can tell you, they were structured identically, sadly I feel I had a few more rights in the WWASP programs than I did at Liahona.
DeleteWhat I am about to tell you breaks my heart, Ms. Mangum, to this day I still don't know how to deal with this.
During Tayor's stay, he was always made fun of by the staff (as were all of us during our stay). They made fun of the way he walked, saying that he was uptight and walked like he had a stick up his rectum.
They mimicked and mocked his accent, and they treated him like they treated all other levels 1's-like complete and total shit.
Since I was an upper level, I used to watch the halls, and every time they would ask kids if they wanted to take ibuprofen, Taylor was always in line. After his death, I looked through the medical logs, and Taylor was taking ibuprofen consistently since the time he was there. As you stated, it's hard to know if a person needs a brain MRI or MRA, but with the amount of ibuprofen Taylor was regularly taking, he should have been given the freedom to ask for a doctor's opinion, without feeling like he would be considered a liar or faker from the Liahona staff.
When he died, we were forced by Peter and Clay to write letters to you, as for many of it was hard, because none of us really knew Taylor. We only knew what we saw, and that was he was working his program so he could go home. We didn't know what he liked to do for fun, what music he was into, what his favorite color and movie were, why he was sent to the program, what his dreams and aspirations were. We didn't know any of this.
So when I wrote that letter to you, I cried, because once again I was being forced to write something, but this time it was over the life of an adolescent I didn't know. This was all to cover up and prevent what should have been at least a negligent homicide charge for Clay and his staff, and a civil suit against Liahona Academy.
When you came down and brought us pizza, I could see the pain and loss in your eyes. Those same staff that made fun of Taylor, that were there looking you in the eyes, talking him up like they knew and loved him. They acted like he was graduating the program that day, those same staff were the ones I watched make fun of and mocked Taylor. They took his rights away that put the fear of God into him, yet they had the audacity to paint this deceptive picture of what happened to Taylor in front of you. They even flew down to his funeral; they acted liked they loved Taylor when most of us knew how much they made fun of him, and only did this to cover their tracks.
Taylor was forced into isolation and too scared to talk with anyone about his headaches. I can't tell you how much that I wanted to break the silence and talk with you and tell you the truth, that day you came to visit us.
I live with this regret every day.
I wanted you to know that awareness of Taylor's death was more than just a brain aneurysm. Like that girl that killed herself at Spring Creek and many others, it was about medical and psychiatric negligence; sadly, this happens quite often inside the troubled teen industry.
Yes, the doctors may have stated, that there was nothing they could have done, even if Taylor had a brain aneurysm at the OR at Primary Children's Hosptial. But like so many others that have died in these places, that's not the point. Taylor should have had a chance to reach out to you or someone else. He should have had the opportunity to call 911; he should have had the opportunity to tell you-his parents that he was having headaches without the fear of being held back in his program or being humiliated by the staff. He should have had the right to call 911 or make a doctor's appointment; regardless of restrictions made upon his behavior prior to the program, he is still a human being and needed to be treated like one.
DeletePeter, Parker, and Clay can continue to believe that they did the best they could for Taylor, but they didn't. There was so much more they could have done to have made a safe environment for Taylor and for all of us.
They'll argue what I have to say till the end of time because to Clay; it's his perspective vs. mine. But I couldn't expect anything less from Clay and the majority of Liahona's staff, that's been consistent in their history, business, and ideology. They don't care to look at the truth if it's going to give Liahona a bad name or hold them responsible. After all, we're only human; most of us do this anyway.
For Clay or Liahona to be associated with the responsibility of death would end his business. With Clay being a businessman, he has investors to pay and profits to make, so why should he look at the truth if it's going to hurt his outcome?
The fact that there is a possibility that his 'tough love' treatment methods puts fear into kids and prevents them from seeking out help when they need it doesn't register to Clay. Because to Clay, there is no right or wrong in this business; there's only what works and what doesn't work, as long as the end justifies the means (profiting).
With that being said, in Clay's world, it's not his fault, you can see this with many students who have graduated his program and relapsed and gone back to pre-program behaviors when Clay and his staff are confronted on this, Clay says "it’s not the programs responsibility, it’s on the kid". However, these were the same people that told those families there was a 90% success rate from his program? Yet they don't look at the fact that maybe there is something wrong with the way they are running the program, and major restructuring needs to be made.
You are right; there is 'the absurd'-kids die randomly, kids die in sports, kids die from medical procedures, there are risks in everything.
The difference is outside of Liahona, at least people have the chance to seek out a doctor when they aren't feeling well, kids have the opportunity to call authorities if they feel they are being threatened or abused. There is always that freedom, but inside these programs, that is taken away from kids, and there is no federal regulation, monitoring and requiring safety measures. As I stated earlier, kids inside these places have fewer rights than those on death row.
So here we are, ten years later, and I can’t tell you how much Taylors death has impacted my life. I spent years in therapy, trying to make sense of it all. I had so many dark times and life challenges I had to get over after the programs. I wasted years partying, abusing substances, not caring about if I was going to live to see the next day or not. I shut down and became numb to the world.
It wasn't until I changed my nihilistic perspective that there is no meaning in life too understanding that my suffering didn't imply there was no meaning, but there was meaning to be found from my suffering. Once that happened, I actually started to heal and to change, but it wasn't easy, and it had nothing to do from what the staff at Liahona were preaching.
Taylors death inspired me to become a better person; his death inspired me to get clean, to control my impulses, to look at the world, and ask how I can make a contribution? His death inspired me to find the truth and seek justice in the hardest of places, and use my skills of arguing to help others. Taylors death inspired me to graduate college to now to go on to law school. I believe that I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for your son. Though I didn't know him well, I want you to know that his death means something to me.
DeleteTen years later, and I have watched so many families who sent their kids to Liahona Academy (and similar programs) lose their children to suicide, drug overdoses, prison because they never got the help they deserved. While families that sent their kids away with only the best intentions. Many of those families had to make financial sacrifices-adding on more debt that resulted in financial hardships, liquidating assets, reverse mortgages, bankruptcies. All for what? The sole profit for Clay and his investors?
Anytime Clay and these programs are confronted about this, they ignore it and refute it. They never listen or pay attention to the hardships and pain they have brought upon so many families. Instead, they refer to their testimonials and google reviews written by kids who are just leaving the program and haven't experienced the real world; or past students which we have no evidence are doing well, as those kids might be so afraid about admitting they are struggling because living in the fantasy and telling everyone you are 'successful', is so much easier than telling the truth and facing the reality of your circumstances. After all, isn't that is what they taught us to do inside these places, aesthetics over authenticity?
Ms. Mangum, my heart goes out to you, and all the pain you have to suffer from Taylor's death. While I understand that Taylor did die of a brain aneurysm, and there was a small likelihood the doctors could have saved him. We should not forget that many of us are fighting for regulations over these facilities, so we can give those a chance who do need medical and first responder help, to receive it, as Taylor should have had. To me, this goes hand in hand with Brain Aneurysm awareness or any medical awareness for the matter. Allowing the safety and freedom for a person to seek medical help is the first step in advocating awareness with medical conditions.
Hey pal, I went to liahona too. It wasn't the mast fun place, nor even the most comfortable, but we sure as HELL had rights. My name Is John Robert Kirkland. Why mention this? Because if your going to claim that Liahona is some place with no rights, where our words are suppressed for no reason, and that staff didn't call 911 just to avoid an investigation, then you need to be as vocal about your name as you are about the things you claim happen at liahona.
DeleteDon't misunderstand me; we weren't allowed to talk to each other- what would happen if 40-48 of the biggest screw-ups in the U.S. could talk unrestricted? We might be called out in groups for manipulating, but that's our own fault; we taught everyone that we are lairs, however Parker would never go into something without thought. We would get to speak up if he was wrong, we could write a note asking to see Dr. Last, etc.
You also mentioned that all lvl 1's get humiliated- not true. Teasing, sure; pointing out our quirks, definitely. Sometimes they'd take it too far, but there is not a person on the face of this Earth who hasn't take a joke too far. The staff care, some more than others and the reason why they didn't call 911 is because it would have taken longer for EMS to arrive than it would have taken to drive Taylor to a urgent care via the van.
So my friend, liahona brother, what is your name and why are you trying to sabotage a wonderful place that's saved my life your life and tens of thousands of other young men's lives.
Thank you.
DeleteMr. Kirkland,
DeleteFirst, you were not a student at Liahona Academy during the time of Taylor Mangum's death. Several other past students and I can attest that John Robert Kirkland was not present at the time of the death of Taylor Mangum.
I will make this clear.
I understand that you had a positive experience at Liahona Academy. However, just because you had a positive experience at Liahona does not invalidate the negative experiences others may have had.
There are many other places on the internet.com that are far more appropriate for you to share your positive experience with Liahona than commenting on a forum regarding the death of a child you did not know.
Why are you arguing a tragic situation you were not present to witness?
Your dogmatism in commenting on this matter is inapt, inappropriate and disrespectful to Taylor, his family, and the students that had to witness this tragedy.
In regards to your statement-
'I went to liahona too. It wasn't the mast fun place, nor even the most comfortable, but we sure as HELL had rights.'
I am specific; you meant to write most, not mast.
What rights did you have at Liahona Academy?
Are these constitutional rights?
Are these rights in the state of Utah?
Please provide specific details and examples of these rights.
As you should know, Liahona Academy is a residential treatment center for minors. In the state of Utah, minors do not have legal rights.
Explain how your rights at Liahona are relevant in any way to the death of Taylor Mangum?
Again this is the world wide web, not Liahona Academy; we have a right to use the internet freely and anonymously. Help me understand what your demand to know my name has to with my freedom to discuss my experiences, opinions, and comments of Liahona Academy; or the merit of my testimony? If I share my name, what would that even do? Invite you and others to leave a bunch of hate mail in my professional practice?
As you stated
'Don't misunderstand me; we weren't allowed to talk to each other- what would happen if 40-48 of the biggest screw-ups in the U.S. could talk unrestricted?
According to your statement, students at Liahona Academy cannot talk to each other, their parents, or anyone besides the Liahona staff. In which the Liahona Staff monitors all communication between the students and the outside world. (Phone calls, letters, visits, etc.).
Please explain what you mean that 40-48 of the U.S. biggest screw-ups could talk unrestricted?
Are you implying that every minor sent to Liahona Academy is one of the biggest screw-ups in this country?
What defines a screw-up?
What gives you evidence that every adolescent sent to Liahona Academy is a screw-up?
Do you personally know every student that's been sent to Liahona Academy?
Even if one were to accept your captious claim, how does it justify that any minor in this country should be denied, mored, or restricted access to communication with their parents or authorities?
Inmates on death row have the right to make phone calls and the right to unmonitored communication with an attorney.
What evidence supports that minors should not have these same rights? Because they are screw-ups?
You go on to and say
' We might be called out in groups for manipulating, but that's our own fault; we taught everyone that we are lairs,''
Again this makes no sense. Provide evidence that every child and student sent to Liahona Academy is a manipulator or liar.
In regards to-
DeleteParker would never go into something without thought. We would get to speak up if he was wrong, we could write a note asking to see Dr. Last, etc.
Parker would never do something without thought?
It is not clear what you're trying to say is due to your grammatical errors and the delivery of your argument. Assuming you are implying that Parker would never do anything without thinking. Yes, we are all human beings; when conscious technically, we are all thinking. So what's your point?
Are you saying that Parker has never made a wrong decision or mistake in his 10+ years in a career in the troubled teen industry? Please provide evidence that supports this. Many students have given their testimony of abuse from Parker Haslam during their stay at Liahona Academy.
I being one of them.
Again, you are entitled to your experience at Liahona Academy; perhaps it was a great one. However, your experience at Liahona Academy can not refute the experiences (good or bad) others have had.
I want to clarify that Dr. Last was not employed at Liahona Academy during Taylor Mangum's death.
Just because Dr. Last is now employed and allows students to write him notes currently does not justify the death of Taylor Mangum.
Your claim of writing notes to Dr. Last is entirely irrelevant to this matter.
During my and Taylors time at Liahona, it was up to the Liahona staff for us to get medical attention.
Let's suppose a teacher at an elementary school denied medical access to a student leading up to a heart attack because the teacher thought the student was faking or making it up. As a result, that child dies.
Does this imply that the teacher should not be questioned by the authorities or prosecuted because they believed the child was manipulative?
Or because ten years later, the teacher is allowing students access to medical care?
Is justice for the death of a minor in any instance to be ignored?
Essentially this is what you are implying.
As you should know, in Utah, Liahona Academy is licensed as a school, the same license that every elementary, middle, or high school has to obtain. Liahona does not have to apply for the same licensing that a hospital does.
The only difference is that the schools (that have the same state license) have more oversight, allowing their students (manipulative or not) the freedom and access to a phone, medical attention, or proper authorities in an emergency.
Liahona Academy is NOT a hospital, state detention center. On paper, Liahona Academy is a private educational high school. So again, please provide me evidence that supports your claim that just because a child is manipulative or a liar, they should not have the right to call their parents or authorities? (See H.R. 3060, § SB127)
Regarding your response-
Delete'You also mentioned that all lvl 1's get humiliated- not true. Teasing, sure; pointing out our quirks, definitely. Sometimes they'd take it too far, but there is not a person on the face of this Earth who hasn't take a joke too far.'
You admitted that Liahona Academy staff tease students; you even stated that sometimes the staff would take it too far. To clarify, the Liahona staff members are employees at Liahona Academy who are above 18 years of age. Therefore, under Utah and federal law, these 'teasings and jokes that have gone too far' could be considered child abuse. (See Utah code § 76-5-109)
Yet, this is justifiable because there is not a person on Earth that hasn't taken a joke too far? Yet, you stated earlier that Parker wouldn't do anything without thought?
So Parker would never say something offensive or abusive to a student; because he thinks about what he does, right?
Parker would never hire an employee that would abuse a minor because Parker thinks thought everything he does, right?
Again, I am not refuting your experience at Liahona because I do not know you, and we did not attend Liahona with each other.
However, when I was there with Taylor, I can assure you what Parker and the other staff did to students was not teasing; it was child abuse.
-The Liahona staff forcing minors to put on boxing gloves to fight each other in a group setting is not a joke; this is child abuse.
(See Utah Code § 62A-4a-305)
-The Liahona staff forcing and exploiting minors to talk about their sexual encounters and teasing them about it in front of a group is not a joke gone too far; this is sexual misconduct against a minor.
(See Utah Code § 409 76-5-409)
-The Liahona staff forcing kids to wear pink jumpsuits and dig holes for hours in the dry, hot Utah desert while denying them access to food and water is not a joke; this is forced child labor, and this is child abuse.
(See Utah Code § 76-5-308.5)
-The Liahona staff putting their hands on minors because they did not listen to the staff's demands while justifying it as a restraint to prevent self-infliction is not a joke gone too far. Again, this is an assault against a minor and again is child abuse.
(See Utah Code § 76-5-112.5.)
-Taylor Mangum's death is not a joke gone too far; it is negligent homicide and obstruction of justice at the very least; in my opinion, it was murder. (See Utah Code § 76-5-201)
The Liahona Staff made fun of Taylor and every student when I was there. Specifically, they made fun of the way Taylor walked, and impersonated him in group constantly, and told him-
Delete'He walked around like he had a stick up his rectum.'
Taylor was from Texas; he had a thick southern accent. The few times he spoke in the group, the Liahona staff would constantly mimic him and make fun of him. For the last 2 months of Taylor's life, he was in an abusive environment, where the staff repeatedly made him fun.
Yet it's all good; because there isn't a person on this planet who hasn't taken a joke too far? Right?
Furthermore, Taylor complained about chronic migraines and headaches during his stay, the Liahona staff--Clay Sr., Clay Jr., Parker, Peter, Jared, etc. would constantly call us liars and fakers when we asked for ibuprofen or tylenol. There were serval times I witnessed the staff saying this directly to Taylor.
Moreover, Clay and the Liahona Staff during my time were not medical practitioners. Who are they to deny medical care to a minor? Who are they to cultivate an environment that shames and looks down upon students that want to seek medical help? Taylor was not alone on this. During my stay at Liahona, when we would get sick or injured, we were so scared to tell the Liahona staff because we didn't want to be humiliated and called a liar, faker, cheater, or denied daily points by taking a sick day.
As you stated earlier, those sent to Liahona Academy are the countries biggest screw-ups and all manipulators and liars.
So why should any Liahona staff/employee member take anything a minor in their care says seriously?
Your statement has validated my argument. Suppose all Liahona's staff member has a pre-conceived notion that every minor that walks through the doors of Liahona Academy is a manipulative liar. Why would they believe them? In Taylor's case, if he was complaining about headaches and migraines leading up to this death. Why would have any staff member take Taylor's medical complaints seriously leading up to his death?
In fact, they called him a manipulative liar and faker, as you agreed every student there is.
Again, you validated my point; they do not take what their students say seriously, and that is the crime of negligence here.
In regards to your statement-
'The staff care, some more than others and the reason why they didn't call 911 is because it would have taken longer for EMS to arrive than it would have taken to drive Taylor to a urgent care via the van.'
You don't understand the point I made here. Following that, every student at Liahona is a liar and a manipulator. Thus, we are establishing there is skepticism of what the staff (those who supposedly know better) believes is said by the student (the liars and manipulators).
In Taylor's case, this was his complaints of migraines and headaches leading up to his death. During Taylors time, I was an upper level that watched the halls. I consistently witnessed Taylor asking the staff members for Advil or Tylenol in complaints of his headaches. After he died, I looked at the logs, and it was weeks he was taking OTC medication.
This is my point; the staff neglected Taylor's medical needs, which resulted in his death.
How can Liahona staff care for the minors in their presence when they view them as liars and manipulators? How can anyone care what anyone has to say if they don't believe them?
Again you were not there to witness the night Taylor died.
DeleteWhat evidence do you have that can support the staff driving Taylor to seek medical help was more efficient than first responders coming into the facility to transport him?
Taylor was taken to several facilities before being life-flighted to Primary Children's Medical Center. What evidence do you have that shows that EMS would not have made the call to have Taylor life-flighted from the Liahona to the appropriate hospital; instead of having the Liahona staff take this matter into their own hands?
What evidence shows that it was safer for the Liahona staff to throw a dying child into a facility van and transport him late at night?
EMT's are trained for these life-threatening situations and have the proper equipment and right to speed through traffic; the Liahona staff were not.
Again, we are dealing with the death of a minor here. If the Liahona Staff called 911, the police would have had the legal right to investigate this matter. Utah law forbids no-knock warrants only for drug charges. When it involves murder or death, it's a different story. In Taylor's case, police, investigators, and child services would have had the right to come in and search the facility, interview/question the staff and students, and potentially prosecute Clay or the Liahona Staff. However, by the Liahona Staff throwing Taylor into a facility van and not inviting the authorities, this did not happen. So let me ask you, with Liahona Academy's teaching of self-responsibility and self-accountability, why did they not practice their own philosophy the night Taylor died? Does the Liahona pledge not center around this?
Surely, Liahona has nothing to hide. Right?
Why was there never an investigation into Taylor's death? Because Taylor died of a brain aneurysm, he was born with?
Because he is labeled as a liar and manipulator?
What justification is there that it was right for the Liahona Staff to deny Taylor medical care leading up to his death?
Why are Clay and the Liahona staff not held to the same accountability that they preach and teach?
Did you not state earlier that students at Liahona had rights? In this situation, did Taylor have the right to call his parents or authorities to seek medical attention until the time of his death? How is Liahona having denied Taylor and much other access to medical care in support aligned with our constitutional rights?
On your statement-
'So my friend, liahona brother, what is your name and why are you trying to sabotage a wonderful place that's saved my life your life and tens of thousands of other young men's lives.'
Liahona saved my life and tens of thousands of lives?
I can assure you; they did not save my life.
Where are you getting this number of tens of thousands of lives?
Liahona Academy has only been in business for around 20 years. Clay started the program at a house in Leeds, UT, with a capacity of 6-12 kids. In the early 2000s, Clay opened the Virgin campus with a capacity of 40-46 kids. In 2012-2013, Clay opened an additional campus in Hurricane campus with a capacity of 40-46 students.
Now there is NO public data of how many kids have attended Liahona Academy. However, let's assume that Liahona has averaged 60 kids a year in the 20 years of the business's existence; this is only 1,200 kids. Even if Liahona averaged 100 kids a year, this is only 2,000 kids within 20 years.
Where are you coming up with this number of tens of thousands of kids?
Do you have any idea what you are saying?
I want to remind you that I made this post in memory of Taylor Mangum, whose death was the negligence of Liahona Academy. Again, I find it utterly disrespectful for someone that did not know him or witness his death to come on here and talk this kind of trash. Clearly, this shows how Liahona has helped you become a valuable contributing member of society. Similarly, to how Parker and Clay always constantly argue on issues they had little grasp on.
Hello Taylor's Mom,
ReplyDeleteMy condolences for what you are going through. I've heard the loss of a child is the hardest thing a person can endure, and it must be difficult to see it discussed by people who don't know the facts of what happened.
There is much speculation about what caused Taylor's death right now. People are concerned about the safety of Diamond Ranch Academy and if their procedures played any role in his death. If you would like to give me more info, I can share it with the community and hopefully stop any misinformation. My email is reddittroubledteens@gmail.com.
-Pixie
Pixie,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the condolences and you are exactly right, the passing of a child is the most difficult event a parent can endure. The pain is felt every day... every time you look around the house or expect him in from school at 3:30...and knowing this is his senior year and I will not see my precious child walk across the stage at graduation as he prepares too enter the next milestone of his life. It isn't difficult to read the writings, it is sickening because you and whomever else is on this endeavor have no idea about the facts of probably any of the innocent children you are writing about.
Do you track the number of teens that die each year while playing sports? Do you track the number of teens whose parents have given up on their child which leads the child to death due to drugs and/or alcohol? Do you track the number of teen suicides? Or, do you track the number of teen overdoses? Just in Tarrant County alone the numbers are disturbing.
I will email but your post proves my point, that you and others don't have your facts straight; Taylor was not at Diamond Ranch and there isn't much speculation about his passing. I have the doctor's report as well as the state's investigation and I am fully aware of the massive BA that ruptured in Taylor's brain; there was no recovery - even if the hospital had been beside the school!
Where is the post that while as parents we were devasted by the sudden loss of Taylor, we had the where-with-all to donate his organs so others could be saved? Or, the effort that has gone into raising awareness about Brain Aneurysm because while a small amount, they do occur in children.
What community? Because what I have read thus far is not impressive because you and others didn't take the time to fully investigate the facts prior to writing; and writing about a child that is not your business. I want his name removed from this posting; show it is unknown if you are set on writing such information but again, you and others do not have the right to communicate anything about my son when you do not have the information correct.
Taylor's Mom
I agree that the local doctors and hospitals should increase their awareness regarding brain aneurysm. A young man aged 19 died from our town died some years back when he was playing badminton.
ReplyDeleteHis family has told me that he changed his behavior months before it happened. He became more agressive and less tolerant. They were concerned and visited their family doctor. The doctor believed that it was some kind of phase. Then he suddenly dropped to the floor during a match and it was too late to do something for him. It was properly the stress of the match which killed him.
In another case a boy in a group home called "One Way Farm" was pushed. He continued his day but started to complain of head ache hours later. He was given some pills and then they continued their day. Suddenly he dropped death on the floor and now the boy who pushed him is awaiting trial. It is hardly fair.
It is a tricky illness and I can only give your my condolences regarding your son.
His name has been removed. I don't know who made the assumption that he was at Diamond Ranch Academy. The facility involved in this case is Liahona Academy outside Virgin. It was another boy who died at Diamond and the family ordered a second autopsy so the cause of the tragedy is not determined. We will respect the wishes of the family and remove their sons name entirely from this entry. The url will be fixed by our technical department.
ReplyDeleteWe are sorry if we offended anyone. Our only goal is to bring awareness to the fact that residential treatment in many cases has been proven more deadly that the original problem the residential treatment should address.
Taylor's mom, I am very sorry for your loss.
DeleteAuthors and supporters of this blog,
Why is the url not changed?? All of the misleading 'facts' in the article are ridiculous! Given the statements made in the article and by mother you should have deleted the entire article.
You talk poorly about the people who make the hard decisions to send their precious and loved children to the treatment centers and schools. You should be ashamed of yourselves for the lies you are spreading about the innocent children, parents, and treatment centers/schools when you do not have the facts nor do you attempt to contact the friends and family of the deceased to get more information. There is no excuse for your poor choice in trying to glamorize Taylor's death in order to humiliate and misrepresent a Treatment center.
I just saw this entry. To the owners of this blog: The only thing which tells me who he was is the comments. Maybe you should delete those.
DeleteI support a similar blog in Denmark because children die in placement all the time. Right now a trial is ongoing related to the dragon boat accident where students were forced to sail out and had to survive subzero degrees in the waters under the command of a former sea officer working as a teacher. Several will have to live as disabled for the rest of their lives.
We have decided to start a blog for Danes who have died in residential settings as well and I know that there are words of a blog about casulties in England and Canada also
You should be ashamed of yourself! You don't know what you are talking about, on many points!
ReplyDeleteMy son was Taylor's roommate and will clearly remember that fateful night when his aneurysm burst. The distance from a hospital is immaterial. Taylor had immediate attention by a medical professional on staff but it was too late. Through my professional medical training as a Physician Assistant, I am cognizant of the fact that, short of being ON an operating table at the time that it blew, Taylor's aneurysm would have been fatal. How dare you question what happened!
As to your opinion of schools such as Liahona, I am convinced that you have a jaundiced view. My son is a member of a FB page called Liahona Brothers, started by one of the boys who was there when my son was. The boys who have turned their lives around due to their time at Liahona do not look back in a negative manner. They realize that they made choices that had them on collision courses with disaster and that the lessons learned at Liahona made all the difference. Many of the boys have friended staff members from Liahona on their Facebooks. Some boys have gone back to visit after graduation.
On the 2 year anniversary of when my son left home to go to Liahona, he posted on his FB that sometimes going through hard things makes people stronger and wakes them up to a reality check that ultimately improves them. He wouldn't want to go back to Liahona but would actually like working in a school like that to help other young men. My son was on a track that would have resulted in him not graduating high school. He spent his Junior year at Liahona, got caught up on his credits to meet Michigan graduation requirements and did well! He pulled his GPA up, scored 32 on his ACT, successfully completed his senior year at home and is on scholarship now to Utah State University.
I am quite taken aback by the claims and statements in your posting. You do not have all the facts and yet posted in what seemed an authoritative manner. It might be well for you to look up the definition of libel.
Until you have walked in the shoes of a parent who finds themselves up against the wall with a beloved child who has made too many wrong choices, you will never understand the heartache and pain that we have experienced. Sending my son to Liahona was the right choice. Dana's choice to send Taylor was the right choice. Perhaps you should look at his memorial website and read his letters home. Have you done that? Have you read the letter sent the day before his aneurysm blew? Have you read the quote which he chose to share with his peers the very day he died? It is almost prophetic: "What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others is immortal and lives on." ~ Robert Pine
So what are you doing for others?
MaurrenB,
DeleteAs far as the topic with Taylor, it was very sad what happened and is heartbreaking to this day. I was a student at Liahona and I witnessed what happened to Taylor first hand, to this day I always remember the incident and how precious life is. Taylor was a great person and those who knew him had nothing but positive things to say.
However, to what you are saying about Liahona Academy and your sons “success” is your experience are subjective the program. What are the statistics of adolescent’s success after the program? What do you define as success? How many successful students had previous behavior of drug/ alcohol abuse? What were these successful students’ behavioral problems? What kind of psychological disorders were these successful students diagnosed with? What are these successful students environments like at home? How are they continuing their therapy or methods outside the program to help their success? If you are going to talk about how great of a place Liahona is there is more the picture I suggest you look at here. How about the families who had to take loans out, go bankrupt, loose there homes, sell values, belongings and put every bit of trust into Liahona Academy and it so called effort to change lives and they have sons who are dead, incarcerated in prison, deeper into drugs, alcohol and other behavior problems. How do you think these families feel? I’m glad for your son’s success you must be proud, but unfortunately there are many families that don’t have the kid you have and are struggling in every way possible. I personally don’t have the statistics but I could name many past families and students who are going through this, but I will keep their names anonymous out of respect; now for my subjective questions. How do you think they feel? You talk about empathy and walking in someone else’s shoes what do you think its like? How do you think these families are they holding up after not only finance lost but also families lost?
Continuing Post........
DeleteThis is the dark side of Liahona, which is covered up and avoided and not talked about. They don’t mention to families the likely hood and risks of their programs in this manner. You must see you are fortunate for your family and situation, because it is rare. There are many families who have different satiations I met kids that were at Liahona for stealing Pokémon cards, I also met kids that had heavy drug use. The fact is they give every student the same behavior modification and same cognitive therapy. Individualism is very important in therapy. Just because a therapist can smooth talk a parent, have an adolescent memorize complete treatment tools does not mean success is guaranteed. Did you know that cognitive therapy is actually one of the least effective methods and it is still used at Liahona even thou there are many other effective therapy methods that could be used and aren’t. I thought Liahona was all about change, if the program cant change themselves how can they expect to help change others?
What does Liahona do to change their success rate for future student in therapy, program, school and life skills?
Have you done your research on the therapists working at Liahona Academy, and they’re past experience?
If you haven’t I suggest you look into it, and see the past experiences these therapists have with former WWASP programs. Have you done research on a WWASP program?? If not, I suggest you should do that as well, and possibly question if these therapists carry the same methods at Liahona they used in these unsuccessful and corrupt programs like WWASP.
You should understand here that you cannot take away the freedom of speech of the Internet; and that the people running this blog are questioning what happened. They are not attacking Taylor or his family. I see it from both sides, that they are trying to put the pieces together because what kind of publicity will it attract when the word is out a student died in a program like Liahona. In a situation like that in any state or place I hope there would be questions. I also see it from the parent’s side and the privacy they would ask for after a situation like this. After everything I will leave you with a quote.
“There are no ones views who aren’t subject to question.”-Lawrence Krauss
P.S. Sorry for my grammar errors it will only allow so many words
I just would say that I find it as such a terrible to lose a son just when his life as an adult was about to start.
ReplyDeleteRegarding such kind of schools I have a few comments. Years ago I found myself in a position where my son had difficulty adjusting to the teenage life in high school. In any responsible high schools here the students can attend a Friday bar where they can drink a beer or a glass of wine. In a time where 9/11 has brought the threat of terrorism into our own streets, it is difficult for us to locate the heathens who don't drink because they are the one who are willing to blow themselves and our children up. My son wasn't that mature and started to hang out with kids who were shunned by the other teens due to their non-Danish behavior.
I did sent my son to a boarding school back in 2007 as part of a plea deal with the social services to avoid police involvement. It was to this day the hardest decision I had to do as a parent. Every single day was torment for both him and me. Luckily I got him home alive. I had to smuggled tobacco and beers over to his school. He is doing well today and working in a firm. I will not credit his stay at the school for his progress. In fact it only worsened his behavior. I will credit his high school in my town for the turnabout which had a good mentor arrangement where older students help younger how to socialize the historically correct way.
I was at DRA for 7 months and it is abuse and they don't tell you the truth about it. And of course the letters were "happy" they don't let you send anything out that said otherwise.
ReplyDelete