A mother and three nurses have been indicted in the death of a 14-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who weighed only 28 pounds.
Makayla Norman died March 1 from nutritional and medical neglect complicated by her chronic condition, according to the county coroner’s office. “She was the worst malnourished child this office has ever seen,” Ken Betz, director of the coroner’s office, said.
According to authorities, the girl died within minutes of paramedics rushing her to the hospital. Her body had numerous bedsores and other signs of neglect, said prosecutors, and her home was vile and filthy.
A grand jury in Dayton, Ohio, charged the mother, Angela Norman, 42 with involuntary manslaughter as well as a felony and misdemeanor count of endangering children. Mollie Parsons, 41, was the girl’s primary nurse. The jury charged her with involuntary manslaughter, failing to provide for a functionally impaired person and tampering with records.
Makayla was confined to her home, relying on care from her mother and Parsons, a registered nurse whose job it was to administer care for the girl six days a week. The other two nurses charged in the case were paid to supervise Parson and the conditions in the home.
Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP – Cerebral palsy attorneys
