PHILADELPHIA - The case of a 14-year-old girl who wasted away
under the nose of the city’s social service agency, weighing
just 46 pounds when she died, has helped lead to the ouster of
two of the agency’s top officials.
Danieal Kelly, bedridden, infested with maggots and nearly
paralyzed with cerebral palsy, died dehydrated during a heat
wave on Aug. 4, nine days after the last scheduled visit by a
company hired to help care for her, The Philadelphia Inquirer
reported Wednesday.
The case was a key factor in Mayor John F. Street’s decision
last week to force the resignation of Human Services
Commissioner Cheryl Ransom-Garner and the termination of her
deputy, John McGee, city officials told the newspaper.
“The system clearly failed with this kid,” acting Human Services
Commissioner Arthur C. Evans Jr. said.
The city has been reviewing cases since a report by the Inquirer
on children’s deaths under the agency’s watch.
A
city caseworker had visited Danieal’s home at least three times
in nine months without spotting any neglect, according to the
city’s review. Police are investigating.
The city has terminated its contract with Multiethnic Behavioral
Health, the company paid to assist the girl’s family.
Mother blamed
A city review of the teen’s death found that caregivers did very
little for Danieal and her family. It also found that the girl’s
death was the result of neglect by her mother, Andrea Kelly.
A
lawyer for the mother, Vincent J. Giusini, said she didn’t do
anything wrong.
Both McGee and Ransom-Garner defended their actions.
Ransom-Garner said she ordered an investigation into
Multiethnic’s performance; McGee said he moved to reassign all
the company’s clients to other social-service agencies but had
to wait until an investigation was finished.
Multiethnic Behavioral Health also denied responsibility for the
death.
“When the full story comes out concerning this family, it will
be demonstrated that Multiethnic and its employees were not
responsible for the death of Danieal Kelly,” said Luther E.
Weaver III, a company attorney.
