WFMZ-TV
April 5, 2006
The mother of a Lehigh County teen who died a treatment facility in Lehigh County is urging lawmakers to ban the use of prone restraints before she says someone else is hurt, even killed.
WFMZ's Carl Madonna reports from Harrisburg.
With a picture of her son by her side, Cynthia Allen spoke in the Capitol Building Rotunda Wednesday calling her son's death nothing short of murder.
Cynthia Allen:
"...we sent him there to go help, instead of getting help they killed my son."
Madonna:
Giovanni "Joey" Aletriz died on February 4th, while being restrained at the Summit Quest Behavioral Health Facility in Lancaster County.
Cynthia:
"...this is what they're trying to say in a nutshell. We followed policy and procedure restraining your son but by some accident he just died. With a black eye, with bite marks on his mouth and tongue, an internal wound from here to here."
Madonna:
Dr. Rich Grala, the director of Summit Quest released this statement: "...Summit Quest correctly followed state-approved restraint procedures in a case involving the tragic death of a resident on February 4. The District Attorney said he found no conduct that would warrant the filing of charges, and Lancaster County Coroner G. Gary Kirchner ruled the manner of death to be accidental."
Madonna:
Cynthia says her son's death was no accident. She says the night Joey died Summit Quest officials told her family that Joey died from congestive heart failure. But according to Joey's mother, Joey went to Sacred Heart Hospital the Wednesday before he died and had an EKG performed. According to Joey's mother that EKG showed no abnormalities.
Cynthia:
"...it said no abnormal findings, normal rhythm, his EKG strip looked like something out of a medical book. If his heart was enlarged or if he had congestive heart failure the waves would have been different, he had a beautiful EKG."
Madonna:
Allen says while her family pursues a civil suit, they'll also push lawmakers to abolish prone restraints.
Allen:
"...please let the death of my son be a new start, a new beginning, no more restraints, no more deaths, no more injuries."
Madonna:
In Harrisburg, Carl Madonna, 69 News.
