Brendan James Blum - 2007

The mother of Brendan James Blum was forced to put into treatment due to pressure from the authorities. She found what she believed was a fine place run under the guidance of one of the biggest operators of treatment programs for minors. A business often seen on TV-shows like Brat Camp and Dr. Phil.

But for 14 year old Brendan James Blum the facility chosen became a death trap when the employees failed to take action when he fell ill. We don't know the extend of pain this young man had to endure before he finally was granted peace. We do know that had the employees reacted and taken him to a hospital his life might have been spared.

The group home is no longer in operation and the customers - the parents - now know how dangerous residential treatment can be. Unfortunately too late for young Brendan James Blum. His family tried to help him. This huge firm failed both the boy and his relatives.

May he find peace where he is now.


Sources:

• Brendan James Blum (Find a grave)
• BRENDAN BLUM (COALITION AGAINST INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILD ABUSE)
• Victims 2005 - 2009 (Fornits Wiki)

Dillon Taylor Peak - 2006

His mother was driving to the camp where Dillon Taylor Peak was held when she received a phone call where she was informed that her son had fallen ill. He was scheduled to be released later that day but he never made it home. He died at the hospital only days later having never gained consciousness.

The investigation showed that he had been hospitalized before during his time at the wilderness camp and that the employees had failed to follow guidelines. It was a fatal mistake which cut his life short to only 14 years.

May he find peace where he is now.


Sources:

• Teenager's camp death scrutinized (Tamba Bay Times)
• I'm Not Going Away, Would You? (Ezine articles)
• Victims 2005-9 (Fornits Wiki)

Caleb Jensen - 2007

Caleb Jensen was only allowed 15 years in this life. He was sent to a wilderness program where he got an infection. Believing that his pain was some kind of manipulation the employees of the wilderness program let him suffer with his pain until the infection killed him.

May he find peace where he is now.

His mother created a memorial website. Her last words were:

If You have been following Caleb's story its finally over. I can not share the details of its end nor can I say It's what I expected. I didn't expect any of this, my plan was for my son to grow up, grow out of adolescent mistakes have a good life get married and give me grandbabies. None of that happened. Caleb didn't make it passed 15. He suffered in a lot of pain until he took his last breath in that pain, with me no where around to hold him, to comfort him. That is what kills me in my mind and my thoughts the most, that my baby boy was all alone suffering in pain with no one who knew him good enough to see he was suffering.

We are doing the things I have wanted to do in his memory. First I have ordered his headstone. It is an absolutely wonderful headstone. When it is placed we will have a headstone placing ceremony. All of us will come together in his memory. We will play a song and his sister Heather will sing a song for him. And take a few moments to talk about our memories and the fact that it is all over.

In November we will do the one thing I have planned for six years. All his Brothers and sisters will go to Disneyland in his memory. You see when Caleb and I talked before he left for that last program I told him when he gets home it will be summer. So we will finally go to lagoon as promised. Lagoon is like a tiny little Disneyland. We didn't get to do that. Well, I told my family when this is all over we will all go to Disneyland in Caleb's memory. We will wear shirts with his pic on them, and so that's what we are doing. I am having shirts made and we are making plans now. I'm so excited so is all the kids. We will be there with Caleb in our hearts!!!!

Sources:

• Memorial website
• Wilderness camp charged in teen’s death (Daily Planet)
• Son's death at camp prompts $45M suit (The Deseret News)
• Victims 2005 - 2009 (Fornits Wiki)

Unknown male teenager - 2007

A young man was sent to Aspen Achievement Academy in Loa, Utah. During the program he found what he believed was the only way out because the teenagers attending the program was never given a discharge date so they believed that they could be in the program forever.

His death has been reported in several newspapers but his name has never been made public, so we don't know what reasons there were to place him in this death-trap, which has tormented so many teenagers over 30 years before they finally closed the programs a few years ago.

Regardless of his actions this fate was not something he deserved. May he find peace where he is now.


Sources:

• LIST OF DEATHS (COALITION AGAINST INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILD ABUS)
• Victims 2005 - 2009 (Fornits Wiki)

Michael Ibarra-Wiltsie - 2000

The life of 12 year old Michael Ibarra-Wiltsie was cut short when a counselor weighing more than 300 pounds sat down on him to calm him down. The poor boy suffocated dying a death so horrible that it is almost impossible to imaging.

The counselor who crushed the boy to death was not charged because the state of Florida at that time allowed this kind of dangerous restraint.

For the mother the loss of one of her sons destroyed her life. Tragedy followed when newspapers reported that she had ended the lives of both herself and another son.

Michael Ibarra-Wiltsie was not supposed to go to this camp but because someone in the system made a terrible error he ended up in this wilderness program which clearly was not suited to meet his needs. Furthermore the medication which aided him to control outburst as result of his illness was taken from him not because he had improved his condition but simply because it was the policy of the camp not to medicate boys like him.

He was failed on so many levels during life that it is hard to find a way to describe it. It sounds almost as the easy way out for the system was to kill him before he cost the society more money.

It was a triple tragedy.

May he find peace where he is now.



Sources:

• Remembering Michael Wiltsie (Teen Advocate USA)
• Mom 'never the same' after child's death (Ocala Star Banner)
• Victims 2000 - 2004 (Fornits Wiki)