- Why was her suicidal son left with sheets, with a trashcan, with anything that could be used to help him take his own life?
- Why were the 15-minute checks overlooked?
- And most chilling, would it have been different if he’d remained close to home, where his parents and siblings could visit and participate in his care?
Richard DeMaar had lived in Alaska for most of his life, but for reasons unknown it was decided that the best treatment option was a remote residential treatment facility 4000 miles away.
It was impossible for his family to drop in and visit him giving him support which would benefit everyone in that situation.
The only contact the family had was by phone, but they were met with various excuses about their son being tired or busy with activities while he was improving.
16 year old! That's how many years he was allowed to live.
Fortunately Alaska started to bring the children in out-of-state facilities home afterwards. Maybe the tragedy his family suffered will help children and their families in the future so it didn't happen for nothing.
May he rest in peace.
Sources:
- Out of State Kids May Suffer in Texas Care Facilities (by Emily Ramshaw, The Texas Tribune, June 14, 2010
- Victims 2005-9 (Fornits Wiki)
- Alaskan Youth Dies in Tx RTC (a thread on the Fornits Home for Wayward Web Fora)
I think of him a lot these days. Especially when Nirvana and Tropical Trident take two of my scenses. I entered Laurel Ridge a month after him, 12 years old and fresh from juvie with a head full of lice. After 2 days of tender headed combing, I was still treated like a leper by everyone, even staff. Everyone except A kid in a green shirt with Long brown hair who just plopped down a box of Connect four from across the plastic table I was doomed to and asks if I wanted to play. He was the only person who didn't make me feel like a contagion and had a concerned big brother vibe to him. He had good taste in music, shared his gum, and liked to play his Air guitar when the King of the Hill theme song played, he was pretty much the perfect friend.. And for that, I'll miss him everyday. But From what I remember from that unfortunate day, a kid from Philadelphia provoked a fight out of him, which earned him a "Privilege freeze" and got him sent to his room with no second thought, despite what his chart said about him being alone and all the warning signs the staff ignored days prior. The kid from Philly was in trouble too, but you would've have known if you saw how much freedom and peer backup he had after that, Even after knocking over the water cooler we all used. And I don't want to go racial, but certain staff (especially weekend) would favor the ones who "liked rap music" and would be short, dismissive and rude to those who didn't. Like asking for another deodorant or a pencil would get your room searched, while the "rap" kids got to use actual cologne in glass bottles and ballpoint pens. Staff Favoritism played a factor that day, and because of that, he was left alone with his bad thoughts while the other kid freely walked around the unit, joking and laughing with the staff after starting the whole thing. The rest is straight up misfortune that could've been prevented of only they cared as much as the wrote in their resumes...
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