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
