WILLIE ROBINSON - 8 yo - Cleveland OH

Monica Hussing And William Robinson Sr., Ohio Parents Admit Denying Ailing Son Medical Care

01/11/12 05:36 PM ET

CLEVELAND — The parents of an 8-year-old boy who died from Hodgkin
lymphoma after suffering for months from undiagnosed swollen glands have
pleaded guilty to denying him medical treatment.

Monica Hussing, 37, and William Robinson Sr., 40, both of Cleveland,
face up to eight years in prison at sentencing. They pleaded guilty
Monday to attempted involuntary manslaughter in a last-minute plea deal
before their trial was about to begin.

Willie Robinson collapsed at his home on March 22, 2008.
Prosecutors say he had begged his parents to take him to see a doctor
but was rejected. Hodgkin lymphoma is a highly treatable cancer.

Hussing's attorney, John Luskin, said his client took responsibility
in the case but, given her education and background, didn't realize the
boy was seriously ill and was treating him with cold medication.

"She is a mother that just did not have the capability to recognize" cancer, Luskin said Wednesday.

Robinson's lawyer, Thomas Rein, called it a "sad, horrific case" that
drew him inquiries from the White House as changes to federal health
care law were being considered in 2009.

"Had he had regular health coverage, it possibly could have prevented this," Rein said of the boy's death.

Luskin and Rein said the parents had financial problems and tried to get checkups for their children but couldn't afford it.

"The kid had what appeared to be swollen glands," Luskin said. "This
was not a tumor that was getting bigger. It would come and go. He would
have his good days, he would have his bad days."

Hussing's daughter, Lillian Hussing, said the family didn't have money for
medical care when they lived in Warren, tried repeatedly to get help
from social services and visited a free clinic but left when told they
would have to pay $180.

"We did not know it was cancer," she said. "We tried and tried to get
help and were denied every time," said the daughter, who's 18.

The family soon moved to Cleveland and the boy died within weeks.

Prosecutors say that while the boy was suffering, the parents claimed
financial hardship but paid $87 to have a pit bull treated for fleas.
Luskin said the dog belonged to Hussing's parents and her parents paid
for the treatment.

Trumbull County Children Services says it had worked with the family
to provide Willie health care, getting involved after receiving a phone
call in July 2007. Agency officials said a case worker visited the
family at least monthly and pushed the parents to have a medical
follow-up on his swollen neck but they didn't.

However, Rein said a social worker who visited the family in January
2008 "indicated the kids were healthy and happy." He said no one knew
the boy had cancer until he died and an autopsy was performed.

And Lillian Hussing said a case worker had told the family the boy's
lump looked like a swollen gland and to hold off until they could secure
financial assistance before getting it checked.

About two weeks after they moved to Cleveland, she said, her brother
came down with something. Her mother treated him with cold medicine and
he died within three days.

She said the boy never complained about his neck.

"He played, he went outside, he wrestled, he played video games," the
boy's sister said. "He was the happiest kid you could imagine. It never
seemed like he was suffering."

The emotional aftermath from their son's death led the couple to split, according to Luskin.

The couple's four other children under 18 were placed in the custody
of a family member. Luskin said the daughter, upon turning 18, decided
to return to live with her mother.

Rein said Robinson agreed to plead guilty so his children could be
spared any further grief and wouldn't have to suffer by testifying.
Lillian Hussing said her mother took a plea bargain because of the
uncertainty of a trial and fear she could be sent to prison for a long
time.

As part of the deal, the prosecution agreed to drop four counts each
against each parent, including child endangering. Prosecutors didn't
agree to a sentence recommendation. Both Luskin and Rein said they hope
the judge will consider probation.

"There's not a day my client ... starts without shedding a tear for his son," Rein said.

The coroner ruled that the boy was a victim of medical neglect and died from pneumonia due to Hodgkin lymphoma.

Hodgkin lymphoma is a highly treatable cancer, with as many as 95
percent of patients in early stages of the disease surviving for five
years or more with treatment. It's one of the most common forms of
cancers among children.

Dr. Stanton L. Gerson, director of the Case Comprehensive Cancer
Center at Case Western Reserve University, said parents should watch for
glands that are swollen for more than two or three weeks, particularly
if accompanied by weight loss and nighttime fevers.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/11/monica-hussing-and-willia_n_1199676.html

---

Couple jailed for eight years after they let their son, aged eight, die of curable cancer ... but paid to get the dog de-flead

• Willie Robinson succumbed to Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2008
  
• Parents said they could not afford treatment
  
• Parents spent $87 to have pet dog Petey treated for fleas while their son was gravely ill, prosecutors say
  

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 11:05 PM on 16th February 2012

The parents of an 8-year-old boy who died from Hodgkin lymphoma after
suffering for months from undiagnosed swollen glands was sentenced to
eight years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to denying him
medical treatment.

Attorneys for Monica Hussing, 37, and William
Robinson Sr., 40, had said the parents had financial problems and tried
to get checkups for their son but couldn't afford it.

The couple
was given the maximum sentence by Cuyahoga County Judge Michael Astrab,
who accepted their guilty plea last month to attempted involuntary
manslaughter in a last-minute plea deal before their trial was about to
begin.




Neglect: Monica Hussing, 37, and William Robinson, 40, pictured on Thursday in
court, have been jailed for eight years after admitting that they did
not take their cancer-stricken son to the doctor despite his begging



Pleaded for help: Prosecutors say Willie Robinson begged his mother and father to take him to the doctor

They were handcuffed and taken into custody immediately. Both plan to appeal the sentence.

Willie Robinson collapsed at his home on March 22, 2008. Prosecutors say he
had begged his parents to take him to see a doctor but was rejected.
Hodgkin lymphoma is a highly treatable cancer.

Hussing's daughter, Lillian Hussing, said the family didn't have money for medical
care when they lived in Warren, tried repeatedly to get help from
social services and visited a free clinic but left when told they would
have to pay $180.

The family soon moved to Cleveland and the boy died within weeks.

Prosecutors say that while the boy was suffering, the parents claimed financial
hardship but paid $87 to have a pit bull treated for fleas.
Luskin said the dog belonged to Hussing's parents and her parents paid for the treatment.

Trumbull County Children Services says it had worked with the family to provide
Willie health care, getting involved after receiving a phone call in
July 2007.



Preventable: Willie, 8, died of Hodgkin's lymphoma, which has a 96 percent survivability rate, if properly treated

Agency officials said a case worker visited the family at least monthly and
pushed the parents to have a medical follow-up on his swollen neck but
they didn't.

However, Robinson's attorney Thomas Rein said
previously that a social worker who visited the family in January 2008
'indicated the kids were healthy and happy.' He said no one knew the boy
had cancer until he died and an autopsy was performed.

And Lillian Hussing said a case worker had told the family the boy's lump
looked like a swollen gland and to hold off until they could secure
financial assistance before getting it checked.

About two weeks after they moved to Cleveland, she said, her brother came down with
something. Her mother treated him with cold medicine and he died within
three days.

She said the boy never complained about his neck.


His parents, who were handcuffed immediately, plan to appeal the sentence

'He
played, he went outside, he wrestled, he played video games,' the boy's
sister said. 'He was the happiest kid you could imagine. It never
seemed like he was suffering.'


The couple, who have five other children, split up after Willie's death

The emotional aftermath from their son's death led the couple to split, according to Luskin.

The couple's four other children under 18 were placed in the custody of a
family member. Luskin said the daughter, upon turning 18, decided to
return to live with her mother.

Rein said Robinson agreed to
plead guilty so his children could be spared any further grief and
wouldn't have to suffer by testifying. Lillian Hussing said her mother
took a plea bargain because of the uncertainty of a trial and fear she
could be sent to prison for a long time.

As part of the deal, the
prosecution agreed to drop four counts each against each parent,
including child endangering. Prosecutors didn't agree to a sentence
recommendation. Both Luskin and Rein had said they hoped the judge would
consider probation.

'There's not a day my client ... starts without shedding a tear for his son,' Rein said.

The coroner ruled that the boy was a victim of medical neglect and died from pneumonia due to Hodgkin lymphoma.

Hodgkin lymphoma is a highly treatable cancer, with as many as 95 percent of
patients in early stages of the disease surviving for five years or more
with treatment. It's one of the most common forms of cancers among
children.

Dr. Stanton L. Gerson, director of the Case
Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University, said
parents should watch for glands that are swollen for more than two or
three weeks, particularly if accompanied by weight loss and nighttime
fevers


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2102274/Couple-jailed-years-let-son-aged-die-curable-cancer-paid-dog-flead.html#ixzz1mbnSPi46

Willie got a death sentence with no appeals.