The Short Life of Angellika

The Short Life of Angellika "Angie" Nicole Arndt
March 3, 1999 to May 26, 2006

by Isabelle Zehnder
June 26, 2006

I have read news articles about this young child who recently died at the hands of those who were supposed to be there to help her. Here is a summary of what I have read.

Angie was born March 3, 1999, in Milwaukee, became a ward of the state, and was placed in the custody of the Milwaukee County Bureau of Child Welfare until she was united with her foster family, the Pavlicks, in January 2005, a family who took her in and loved her as their own.

She spent her first five years bounced around the foster system. She found a home with the Pavlicks who wanted to provide stability in her life. They did not care that she brought with her issues – issues they were more than willing to deal with. During her kindergarten year, her social worker suggested she get counseling for her tantrums. Her mother, Donna, said she did have tantrums but they were never bad enough to where she thought she was a danger to herself or others.

According to Donna, Angie had birthday parties at McDonalds like other kids, she camped, played, listened to music, she was just as normal as any other 7-year old child. At night Donna tucked her in and kissed her on the forehead. Sometimes, Angie would say, “No, Mom, I need a kiss on the lips tonight.”

The Pavlicks trusted the Rice Lake day clinic to care for their daughter and to help her through her tantrums. They never thought that included the use of restraints, nor did they authorize the use of restraints.

Angie had been at Rice Lake for 30 days and was scheduled to be there another couple months until she started the first grade in the fall. That is never going to happen now.

Angie’s parents began receiving calls from the school letting them know she had been restrained. They called three times in one week. They were scheduled for a meeting two weeks after Angie died. Her parents were very concerned and wanted to question why she was being put in so many holds for behavior that they said they had never even seen at home.

I wonder if the school informed Angie’s parents that she had been put in restraints for gargling milk, a normal behavior for a 7-year old child, just two days before she died.

Clinic Board President Dennison Tucker said in the May 25 incident the girl was held on her stomach on the floor, with one staff member gripping her ankles as another held down her shoulders. She calmed down, was released and then passed out, he said.

Tucker said there would be one person on either side of the child holding the top of her arm and shoulder.

"They'd be talking to you," Tucker said. "It's not like an aggressive thing. They'd be talking to you saying, you know, you need to calm down."

Some questions come to mind. Did he mention Angie had been restrained on nine separate occasions, because according to a report by the state Health Department, she had. And did he mention that each time she was placed in these holds (restraints) that they lasted an hour or two? Because, again, that is what the report said.

The last time Angie was put into one of these holds she stopped breathing and died a day later.

The Hennepin County medical examiner ruled her death a homicide caused by "complications of chest compression asphyxiation" leading to "cardiopulmonary arrest while restrained by another person."

The state of Wisconsin is still investigating this case. Two of the biggest questions are if the counselors did the hold appropriately and should it have been done in the first place.

The Rice Lake Police Department and Barron County District Attorney's office continue their investigation of her death. The district attorney's office said it did not expect to decide before July 15 whether to press criminal charges.

According to the state Health Department report, the clinic "failed to demonstrate each use of physical hold (restraint) was due to an emergency or behavior by (Angellika) that posed imminent danger to self or others," as required by state law.

The clinic also failed to identify the proper level of care for Angellika, the report said. She had "behavioral and emotional issues" that exceeded the level at which she had been classified.

Despite the evidence of frequent tantrums, verbal and physical aggression toward staff and other children, and the number of times intervention was necessary, the staff continued to provide services "designed for other treatment populations," the report said.

The clinic was ordered to respond to the report within 30 days.

The two staff members who restrained Angellika on the day she lost consciousness were immediately placed on paid administrative leave, Tucker said.

Among the report's other findings:

• The clinic failed to provide required services by a physician or registered nurse.

• The clinic failed to document the side effects of Angellika's drugs.

• The clinic failed to provide direct clinical review and assessment of the two employees who restrained Angellika the day she passed out.

• There was no evidence that the clinic collaborated with the girl's psychiatrist other than a request for information about medications and a request for a treatment plan signature.

The girl, whom friends and family called "Angie," was born in Milwaukee. She became a ward of the state and was placed in the Rusk County foster home of Dan and Donna Pavlik in January 2005.

She was diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder, mood disorder and attention deficit with hyperactivity disorder, according to the state's report.

(Information for this review was taken from news articles ... click here)