Mom sentenced to 16 years for signing off on medical treatments that killed her healthy daughter

J

Jeni

Senior Member
  • Kelly Renee Turner was sentenced to 16 years of prison for child abuse leading to the death of her daughter.
  • Turner made her 7-year-old get unnecessary medical treatments and eventually signed a do-not-resuscitate order.
  • She also raised between $100,000 and $1 million in fraudulent charity money and gifts.
A Colorado woman who pleaded guilty last month to charges of child abuse causing the death of her 7-year-old daughter was sentenced to 16 years of prison on Wednesday.

Kelly Renee Turner, 43, put her daughter Olivia through years of unnecessary medical treatment that eventually led to her death in 2017, the New York Times reported.

In a 2019 indictment, prosecutors said Turner first requested treatments for constipation and developmental delays when Olivia was 2 years old. She continued approving "surgery after surgery" and eventually put her daughter in hospice care, where she insisted on a do-not-resuscitate order.

This is so sad..... i am curious why doctors did not report issues or question things in many of these cases.... instead of doing procedures over and over... realize she might be switching doctors and such but many hospitals keep a file on those doctor shopping or asking why she did not return to previous provider..
 

What kind of procedures ? I find it hard to believe that doctors would perform any procedures that were not necessary,
yet apparently it seems that the mother 'approved' surgery after surgery - so doctors suggested all of them ???
 

Mandee said:
What kind of procedures ? I find it hard to believe that doctors would perform any procedures that were not necessary,
yet apparently it seems that the mother 'approved' surgery after surgery - so doctors suggested all of them ???
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some will i guess but as all the responses .. i TOO think medical involved should bear some responsibility and at the very least forced to learn the tricks these people will use ..... they disregard by claiming a mental disorder......

"Turner's stepfather believes that she had a mental disorder called Munchausen syndrome by proxy, meaning she induced illness in her otherwise healthy child to get attention, the family's lawyers said in a statement reported by the Times."

If doctors in a five year time frame could not see clues? stepfather is sounding like he should have turned her in also
 
Unfortunately, some doctors see "dollar signs" when a new patient walks through the door. We used to have a Medical Profession, but in recent years, that has become known as our Health Care Industry.....and, the primary purpose of Any industry is to make money.

In this particular case, I hope a prosecutor investigates this young girls history, and holds some of those doctors responsible.
 
Jeni said:
some will i guess but as all the responses .. i TOO think medical involved should bear some responsibility and at the very least forced to learn the tricks these people will use ..... they disregard by claiming a mental disorder......

"Turner's stepfather believes that she had a mental disorder called Munchausen syndrome by proxy, meaning she induced illness in her otherwise healthy child to get attention, the family's lawyers said in a statement reported by the Times."

If doctors in a five year time frame could not see clues? stepfather is sounding like he should have turned her in also
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You would think however that a doctor with many years of training would see these sorts of signs and especially after examining the child and not really noticing things wrong with her. Kind of putting one and two together.
 
Signe The Survivor said:
You would think however that a doctor with many years of training would see these sorts of signs and especially after examining the child and not really noticing things wrong with her. Kind of putting one and two together.
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Yes that is why i am amazed at how many of these type things are found often after the death of child.....

some doctors IMO like a seemingly challenging case that NO one has found YET as a challenge maybe they own hopes of publishing paper on odd case etc overwhelms there skeptical thoughts.
 
Jeni said:
Yes that is why i am amazed at how many of these type things are found often after the death of child.....

some doctors IMO like a seemingly challenging case that NO one has found YET as a challenge maybe they own hopes of publishing paper on odd case etc overwhelms there skeptical thoughts.
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So basically they like playing with a life for there own benefit.
 
Signe The Survivor said:
So basically they like playing with a life.
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Like any profession there are Good and Bad medical personnel not just Doctors
I say that as nurses , other people doing tests etc before a surgery might see a discrepancy or clue.
I have seen one of these moms in real life and they are overly pushy and dramatic cause the payoff is attention for them not the kid.

in order to advance etc many want an unusual case.
 
Jeni said:
Like any profession there are Good and Bad medical personnel not just Doctors
I say that as nurses , other people doing tests etc before a surgery might see a discrepancy or clue.
I have seen one of these moms in real life and they are overly pushy and dramatic cause the payoff is attention for them not the kid.

in order to advance etc many want an unusual case.
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I agree that there are definitely good and bad medical personnel. I also believe that these sort of moms or parents are very pushy and dramatic and I would think as a medical professional that would be a sign that they should really look into the case pretty hard. I also fully understand that doctors want that find of something unusual, but there has to come a time when they say I haven't found anything and this has to stop.
 
I didn't read the above article, but, I did read where she was fraudulently taking monies from the Make A Wish foundation for her daughter's fake illnesses.

Seems like it was going on for quite a while.
 
She used her daughter to seek attention for herself. Prison time is extremely warranted. I agree with other's, what the... regarding the doctors? Was this so called mother relaying a bunch of symptoms that supposedly the child complained of but didn't have?
 
The mother might have been giving the child things that caused her to throw up or have pains. 16 years doesn’t seem long enough for the pain and torture this child went through.
 
Remy said:
She used her daughter to seek attention for herself. Prison time is extremely warranted. I agree with other's, what the... regarding the doctors? Was this so called mother relaying a bunch of symptoms that supposedly the child complained of but didn't have?
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started as child was a 2 yr old i am sure she was not able to really say what was wrong and go along as she got older to agree with mom about whatever.
details are sketchy as some over these parents who do this poison kids or do things to mimic symptoms.....

I think many feel a doctor should be able to see if tests came back normal or inconclusive to not decide to do more and more procedures.... i wonder why an insurance or medicaid did not stop and say ... we need a second/ third opinion.

Makes a person question why .....so willing to do procedure after procedure .... when many others seeking medical are denied procedures they may actually need ...
Mom must have been fairly persistent.
 
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There have been many TV dramas about Munchausen syndrome. This might be a case of that, or even worse, a sociopath using an innocent child to raise money for herself.

In either case, I have to wonder: How did she get false diagnoses to present to doctors? Why did doctors go along with unnecessary surgery? How did she get the child into hospice? (Isn't that supposed to be for the terminally ill, or those who are expected to die within 6 months?) And that DNR thing sounds awfully strange. Isn't that also supposed to be for the terminally ill?

The whole case has a lot of weird, gaping holes in it. Even the NY Times article about it doesn't really answer the above questions.
 
win231 said:
^^^^ BINGO! When I first read about this a few days ago, I thought, "How could that many educated doctors be so easily fooled?"
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With all the tests they have at there disposal today it just mesmerizes me that they didn't question this women as tests had to be coming up negative or even if she was poisoning this poor child they had to be doing blood tests on this child and that would have shown up in that. This should have not gone this far for sure. This poor child lost her life and was tortured.
 
Don M. said:
Unfortunately, some doctors see "dollar signs" when a new patient walks through the door. We used to have a Medical Profession, but in recent years, that has become known as our Health Care Industry.....and, the primary purpose of Any industry is to make money.

In this particular case, I hope a prosecutor investigates this young girls history, and holds some of those doctors responsible.
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Strongly Agree here !
 
Signe The Survivor said:
With all the tests they have at there disposal today it just mesmerizes me that they didn't question this women as tests had to be coming up negative or even if she was poisoning this poor child they had to be doing blood tests on this child and that would have shown up in that. This should have not gone this far for sure. This poor child lost her life and was tortured.
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AND, doctors are quite familiar with "Munchausen by Proxy."
 
I saw a case that involved something similar on "Judge Judy."
A woman who was divorced constantly took her 7 year old daughter to various doctors & dentists, who were more than willing to treat her for conditions that didn't exist or didn't require treatment: (For $$$$$$, of course)
Not paying attention in school. Treatment: Ritalin
Anxiety. Treatment: Anti Depressant drugs & frequent psychiatric visits at $400.00/hr
Dental Tartar. Treatment: Frequent professional cleanings & x-rays.
Calcified Teeth. More dental treatment

Doctors & dentists created treatable illnesses by categorizing minor & normal conditions as "illnesses" that required treatment.

She was not only motivated by wanting people to feel sorry for her for having a "sick" daughter, she also was trying to get back at her ex husband by making him pay for half the medical costs she generated - with willing doctors & dentists, of course.
The judge saw through her & threw the book at her! And also said "These doctors & dentists should be ashamed of themselves for participating in something like this."
 

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