Dad and girlfriend held after 7yr. old son dies of brutal beating on Fathers Day

[Accidenttraffic]

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/reg...icleid=1180721
A 7-year-old boy died today after being taken off life-support following a series of brutal beatings allegedly at the hands of his Worcester dad - with the most vicious attack coming on Father’s Day.

“This has turned from a case of severe physical abuse to a murder investigation,” said Tim Connolly, spokesman for Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.

He confirmed that little Nathaniel Turner succumbed to his injuries in a Worcester hospital late today.

Leslie G. Schuler, 36, and his live-in girlfriend, Tiffany Hyman, 28, were arraigned this afternoon on assault charges in connection with the beating of Nathaniel. It is not clear yet if murder charges will be added following the boy’s death.

Bail was set at $250,000 cash for Schuler and $50,000 for Hyman following their hearing in Central District Court in Worcester.

Schuler and Hyman brought the unconscious, beaten boy into St. Vincent’s Hospital yesterday morning, said Worcester Police Sgt. Kerry Hazelhurst.

“He had bruising throughout his body, stomach, head, neck and face,” he said.

Relatives tell the Herald the boy was taken off life-support and has died.

Hazelhurst said the boy appeared to have been beaten on Father’s Day.

“It appears Sunday he received some substantial injuries,” he said.

Schuler is charged with multiple assault and battery charges for allegedly inflicting the injuries. Hyman is charged with assault and battery for allegedly not stopping the abuse.

“She didn’t intervene at all,” Hazelhurst said.

Schuler had custody of the boy for about four weeks and was to have custody all summer, Hazelhurst said. The child lives with his maternal grandmother in Alabama.


I don't understand why you fight for custody of a child you will beat to death. Thankfully these two will be taken care of in jail. She has a MySpace, not a whole there except the "I don't want kids"  :|
http://www.myspace.com/tiff62980

[Sanrio90]

Cases like this make me re-think my general opposition to the death penalty. Scum like this really has no right to exist.

[puzzld]

Boy beaten by dad can be taken off life support
Judge’s ruling follows accusations that dad beat 7-year-old on Father’s Day
The Associated Press
updated 4:44 a.m. MT, Thurs., June 25, 2009
WORCESTER, Mass. - A 7-year-old boy who traveled to the state to spend the summer with his father and who, prosecutors say, was severely beaten by him on Father's Day can be removed from life support, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Juvenile Court Judge Carol Erskine delivered the ruling after a hearing in which a doctor at UMass Memorial Medical Center testified that the boy, Nathaniel Turner, didn't respond to a number of neurological tests. Dr. Scot Bateman said the hospital also got a second opinion from a Boston doctor that the boy was brain dead.

The judge gave custody of the boy to his mother for the purpose of deciding whether to donate his organs. Before ruling, the judge called the case "a heartbreaking and gut-wrenching situation," and she asked the media not to photograph any family members.

After the judge made her decision, family members could be seen crying and hugging each other as lawyers escorted them out of the courthouse.

Dad recently got summer custody
Relatives said Nathaniel had lived with his maternal grandmother in Eufaula, Ala., before going to live with his father, Leslie Schuler, in Worcester, the second-largest city in New England, with a population of about 175,000, located just west of Boston. Schuler, 36, recently had received a court order to have summer custody of him.

The boy was physically and mentally abused by his father for about two months, police said. On Father's Day, he suffered severe injuries when his father slammed his head into a bedroom wall with such force that it left a dent in the wall, they said.

Schuler was arraigned Tuesday on seven counts of assault and battery and three assault counts. He pleaded not guilty and was held on $250,000 cash bail. His lawyer, Christopher Tully, said his client was remorseful.

Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said the case had become a homicide investigation, but he would not immediately comment on whether charges against Schuler would be upgraded to murder.

Schuler's lawyer requested at the hearing that the boy remain on a ventilator.

'Devastated and very frustrated'
Nicholas Morana, a lawyer representing the boy's mother, said his client agreed with the hospital's assessment of her son's condition.

"She's devastated and very frustrated," Morana said. "She is angry at the father for what happened."


A spokesman for the district attorney's office said the family had requested that the mother's name not be released.

Schuler's girlfriend, Tiffany Hyman, was charged with two counts of assault and battery. Police said it appeared Hyman, 28, didn't strike the boy but could have intervened and stopped the abuse. She was held on $50,000 cash bail.

Her lawyer, Jose Rosario, said police reports contained no information indicating she touched the boy.


URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31533695/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

[titoswifey]

It's all over the news here.

I am glad that he will be taken off life support. Does that mean he will die? I mean wasnt Terry(is that her name) Shavo brain dead also and lived?

If he survives the dad will probably only be charged with an assault I think.

[Nomad]

I just read about this one on MSNBC this morning.  God, this is awful.  I feel bad for the mom and the graqndparents that were actually taking care of this boy. 

This guy needs to go away for life.  Any man who will slam a child's head against the wall, and any woman who will stand there and watch, don't belong in society.

[puzzld]

[quote author=Laurie_khikhi link=topic=20617.msg1314861#msg1314861 date=1245944751]
It's all over the news here.

I am glad that he will be taken off life support. Does that mean he will die? I mean wasnt Terry(is that her name) Shavo brain dead also and lived?

If he survives the dad will probably only be charged with an assault I think.
[/quote]No. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terri_Schiavo was in a persistent vegetative state which is a condition of patients with severe brain damage who were in a coma, but then progressed to a state of wakefulness without detectable awareness. There is some brain activity.  If the patient is really brain dead removing him from the respirator should be followed fairly quickly by the rest of the organs shutting down.

[TinkerBelly]

Nathaniel......I'm sorry you had to meet your father.  He didn't deserve you for even an hour.  Never mind 2 months.
ETA:  The decision to remove life support has not yet been made. 



Monsters
I hope Big Daddy in prison likes men who beat their son brain dead on Father's Day



WORCESTER —  The boy allegedly beaten unconscious on Father’s Day by his father was pronounced "clinically dead" yesterday afternoon, according to Timothy J. Connolly, spokesman for the Worcester District Attorney’s Office.

A murder investigation is now under way and authorities are reviewing evidence collected by investigators involving the attack on Nathaniel Turner.

The boy was at UMass Memorial Medical Center — University Campus and on life-support earlier today, authorities said. Lawyer Laura Raphaelson, who said she was appointed the boy's medical guardian ad litem, said a hearing will be held in Juvenile Court today to determine whether to continue the life support.

Earlier yesterday, the state Department of Children and Families took custody of the boy, according Alison Goodwin, director of public affairs.

The alleged assaults ended on Father’s Day with what police described as a brutal attack that left the boy in grave condition.

The father, Leslie G. Schuler, and his live-in girlfriend, Tiffany Hyman, both of 13 Arline St., were arraigned in Central District Court earlier today. Mr. Schuler was held on $250,000 cash bail and Ms. Hyman on $50,000 cash bail. They will return to court next month.

It was just a month or so ago that Mr. Schuler received a court order allowing him to have summer custody of Nathaniel, who for most of his life lived with his grandmother in Alabama.

Investigators from the Police Department Special Crimes Division were called to St. Vincent Hospital yesterday morning after Mr. Schuler and Ms. Hyman arrived there with Nathaniel. The boy was unconscious, police said.

“Apparently the boy had suffered substantial injuries throughout his body,” police spokesman Sgt. Kerry F. Hazelhurst said today. “He had recent bruising all over his chest, stomach, neck and face area. The child was unconscious and unresponsive.”

Investigators, including Detectives Donna M. Brissette and Laura J. LaLiberte, interviewed Mr. Schuler and Ms. Hyman and learned that a series of assaults had occurred over the eight weeks since the boy came to the city from Alabama. The most recent attack took place Sunday, according to authorities.

Police arrested Mr. Schuler, 36, and Ms. Hyman, 28, after the two spoke with the detectives.

Mr. Schuler was charged with four counts of assault and battery on a child with injuries, three counts of assault and battery on a child causing serious bodily injuries, assault to murder and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. The charges had not been upgraded as of this afternoon.

Ms. Hyman was charged with two counts of assault and battery on a child causing serious bodily injuries. While it appears she did not assault the child, police said, she could have intervened and stopped the abuse.

Relatives of the boy at the courthouse this morning described Nathaniel as a handsome, free-spirited boy. He reportedly had been sleeping on the floor of a bedroom after Mr. Schuler removed all his toys and furniture as a disciplinary measure for disrespect, according to investigators.

The boy was also allegedly whipped with a belt and beaten several times, the most serious attack coming Sunday, police said.

Lisa Carter, cousin of the birth mother, said Mr. Schuler could have dropped the boy off at any of the relatives’ homes in the city.

“He could have dropped him (off) to us if he couldn’t handle him. He has to kill the kid,” she said. “He’s only had the kid not only a month, and now this happened.”

The birth mother did not want to speak to reporters, and family refused to give her name to reporters.

Nathaniel’s family said Mr. Schuler always knew he was the father of the boy, but about a month ago received a court order to have DNA testing done to prove it.

Mr. Schuler then received a court order to have summer custody of the child.

Nathaniel had been living in Alabama with his grandmother, who has legal custody.

The birth mother was taking care of the child on weekends, but Mr. Schuler did not allow her to see her son recently, according to the family.

[HeyyyMan]

[quote author=TinkerBelly link=topic=20641.msg1314981#msg1314981 date=1245953132]
RIP Nathaniel......I'm sorry you had to meet your father.  He didn't deserve you for even an hour.  Never mind 2 months.



[/quote]

I don't usually comment on deaths but for some reason this just makes me really mad. The way his father looks in his photo kind of like "I don't think it's that big of a deal." He was an adorable little boy. RIP Nathaniel.

[TinkerBelly]

[quote author=HeyyyMan link=topic=20641.msg1314993#msg1314993 date=1245953581]
I don't usually comment on deaths but for some reason this just makes me really mad. The way his father looks in his photo kind of like "I don't think it's that big of a deal." He was an adorable little boy. RIP Nathaniel.
[/quote]

This case pisses me off on so many levels.  This guy is a fucking animal and should be treated as such BUT is given the right to have an opinion on whether Nathaniel should be removed from life support. 

Thursday, June 25, 2009


A family decision
JUDGE SAYS VENTILATOR REMOVAL NOT UP TO COURT


WORCESTER —  A Worcester Juvenile Court judge said yesterday that since 7-year-old Nathaniel Turner was declared brain dead by a doctor at UMass Memorial Medical Center — University Campus, there would be no hearing to determine whether to remove the boy from life support.

Judge Carol A. Erskine ruled that since Nathaniel was declared brain dead Tuesday afternoon by Dr. Scot T. Bateman, chief of pediatric critical care for UMass Memorial, then a Chapter 119, section 38A hearing would not be applicable. Chapter 119, section 38A is a relatively new law involving how life and death issues with children are handled.

The hearing was a rare glimpse into the machinations of Worcester Juvenile Court, which typically closes its hearings to the public.

Judge Erskine said the “declaration of death is valid,” and dismissed the filing for a care and protection order. Lawyers representing Nathaniel, his mother, Alicia Turner, and the state Department of Children and Family Services told the judge they felt the 38A hearing did not apply because Nathaniel was declared brain dead Tuesday afternoon.

Only the lawyer for Nathaniel's father, Leslie G. Schuler, the man accused of beating the boy unconscious, argued for the hearing, and argued that the ventilator Nathan has been kept on is sustaining his life.

As she issued her decision yesterday afternoon, Judge Erskine, a longtime juvenile court justice, expressed condolences to the family, and thanked the lawyers and doctors for their compassion. She said it was a tragic and heartbreaking case involving one of society's most vulnerable. She said she visited Nathaniel earlier in the week as the case was unfolding.

“I had the opportunity to see the child, and he's a beautiful child,” Judge Erskine said.

Custody of the boy is now with his mother. Margaret T. Winchester, a lawyer appointed to represent Nathaniel during the proceedings, said the decision whether to remove the machines that are keeping the boy's heart beating and his lungs functioning is now up to the family.

“It's the family's decision as to what steps should be taken next,” Ms. Winchester said.

Family members attending the hearing sat quietly in the front row of the courtroom and listened intently as Dr. Bateman described in detail the steps the hospital took to determine that Nathaniel was brain-dead.

The doctor described the tests that look for any sign of brain activity, including tests that look for basic reactions in the eyes and the ears. Also, Nathaniel's blood was injected with a dye that shows up in X-rays, Dr. Bateman said. The test determines whether blood is getting to the brain.

“We did the test, and there was no blood flow at all to the head,” Dr. Bateman said.

The doctor said the final test done before the boy was declared brain dead, an apnea test, had doctors remove the ventilator helping Nathaniel breathe. He said doctors then looked for signs of spontaneous breathing, and measured the amount of carbon dioxide in Nathaniel's blood. When the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood reaches a certain point, the brain should instinctively initiate breathing, Dr. Bateman said. He said that on the ventilator, Nathaniel's blood-gas level was normal, but when the ventilator was shut off, it spiked.

Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said outside the courtroom that the case has shifted from an assault investigation to a homicide investigation, but would not elaborate on the next legal steps his office will take in modifying the charges against Mr. Schuler and/or Mr. Schuler's girlfriend, Tiffany Hyman.

Mr. Schuler, who had a legal right to attend the hearing, was in the building, but not in the courtroom.

[neenerneener]

ugh.  how adorable is that kid?  i cant imagine how anyone could look at that little face, and do something so heinous. :2angry:

and it says that they did nuclear brain scan to check for blood flow to the brain, and that he was completely brain dead...
thats the last test they do to confirm brain death.  why in the workd would they give that man a say in whether nathaniel gets take off of life support? 

RIP Nathaniel

[TinkerBelly]

[quote author=neenerneener link=topic=20641.msg1315026#msg1315026 date=1245955179]
ugh.  how adorable is that kid?  i cant imagine how anyone could look at that little face, and do something so heinous. :2angry:

and it says that they did nuclear brain scan to check for blood flow to the brain, and that he was completely brain dead...
thats the last test they do to confirm brain death.  why in the workd would they give that man a say in whether nathaniel gets take off of life support? 

RIP Nathaniel
[/quote]
The decision has not yet been made to remove life support.  I said RIP too because he is clinically dead.

The asshole "father" wants to keep him on the breathing machine.  Why his opinion should matter is totally absurd.  He's such a pussy he probably thinks he'll get a lesser sentence if the poor child remains in a clincally dead state.

UGH! 

[titoswifey]

Can he live after being taken off of life support? I have been wondering this all day. (There is another thread on this here somewhere also.)

[LostSouls]

This seems to be open in two threads.

[mydeathspace]

[quote author=LostSouls link=topic=20617.msg1315060#msg1315060 date=1245957597]
This seems to be open in two threads.
[/quote]

Merged.

[neenerneener]

laurie- no, he wont survive if taken off of life support.  total brain death means that blood and oxygen are no longer making it to the brain, therefore it has completely died.  since the brain is the powerhouse of the body, and controls all of the bodys functions, once the machines stop breathing for him, he will cease to breathe.

[Nocturnal1]

[quote author=Laurie_khikhi link=topic=20617.msg1315059#msg1315059 date=1245957578]
Can he live after being taken off of life support? I have been wondering this all day. (There is another thread on this here somewhere also.)
[/quote]

No, he can't live when taken off of life support. They had injected his blood with a dye that would show up on x-rays and there was no blood supply to the brain, which shows brain death. Also, when taken off of the ventilator, the tests showed that there was a build up of carbon monoxide in the blood. He was not able to breathe on his own. The father should not have had a say in whether or not they kept him on life support. He was the one responsible for putting him there. Of course he was against having him taken off because his son would die without it and he would be up for murder. He was only thinking of himself, obviously. And from the looks of him in the picture, he couldn't have cared less.

I can't imagine what a little kid like that could possibly have done to deserve all the beatings that he got. It must have been a nightmare for him for sure. He probably fought for custody of his son for the summer just to take him away from his mother and family. And the beatings were also intended to hurt the mother mostly. This sick bastard needs to get some severe beatings himself. Hopefully he will in prison. I hope he suffers a lot worse than his son ever did. There can never be any real justice in a case like this. These kind of people don't deserve to exist.

[TinkerBelly]

[quote author=puzzld link=topic=20617.msg1314778#msg1314778 date=1245935969]
Boy beaten by dad can be taken off life support
Judge’s ruling follows accusations that dad beat 7-year-old on Father’s Day
The Associated Press
updated 4:44 a.m. MT, Thurs., June 25, 2009............
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31533695/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
[/quote]
[quote author=TinkerBelly link=topic=20617.msg1315004#msg1315004 date=1245954274]
This case pisses me off on so many levels.  This guy is a fucking animal and should be treated as such BUT is given the right to have an opinion on whether Nathaniel should be removed from life support. 

Thursday, June 25, 2009


A family decision
JUDGE SAYS VENTILATOR REMOVAL NOT UP TO COURT


[i]WORCESTER —  A Worcester Juvenile Court judge said yesterday that since 7-year-old Nathaniel Turner was declared brain dead by a doctor at UMass Memorial Medical Center — University Campus, there would be no hearing to determine whether to remove the boy from life support.

Judge Carol A. Erskine ruled that since Nathaniel was declared brain dead Tuesday afternoon by Dr. Scot T. Bateman, chief of pediatric critical care for UMass Memorial, then a Chapter 119, section 38A hearing would not be applicable. Chapter 119, section 38A is a relatively new law involving how life and death issues with children are handled.

The hearing was a rare glimpse into the machinations of Worcester Juvenile Court, which typically closes its hearings to the public.

Judge Erskine said the “declaration of death is valid,” and dismissed the filing for a care and protection order. Lawyers representing Nathaniel, his mother, Alicia Turner, and the state Department of Children and Family Services told the judge they felt the 38A hearing did not apply because Nathaniel was declared brain dead Tuesday afternoon.

Only the lawyer for Nathaniel's father, Leslie G. Schuler, the man accused of beating the boy unconscious, argued for the hearing, and argued that the ventilator Nathan has been kept on is sustaining his life.

As she issued her decision yesterday afternoon, Judge Erskine, a longtime juvenile court justice, expressed condolences to the family, and thanked the lawyers and doctors for their compassion. She said it was a tragic and heartbreaking case involving one of society's most vulnerable. She said she visited Nathaniel earlier in the week as the case was unfolding.

“I had the opportunity to see the child, and he's a beautiful child,” Judge Erskine said.

Custody of the boy is now with his mother. Margaret T. Winchester, a lawyer appointed to represent Nathaniel during the proceedings, said the decision whether to remove the machines that are keeping the boy's heart beating and his lungs functioning is now up to the family.

It's the family's decision as to what steps should be taken next,” Ms. Winchester said. ............

[/quote]

Looks like the Associated Press jumped the gun on the announcement of life support being removed.  The hearing was held today to determine who as the authority to make the decision.
:|

[puzzld]

[quote author=TinkerBelly link=topic=20617.msg1315139#msg1315139 date=1245964826]
Looks like the Associated Press jumped the gun on the announcement of life support being removed.  The hearing was held today to determine who as the authority to make the decision.
:|
[/quote]I looked back at the article I linked and it didn't say he was being removed, just that he could be and that ...

The judge gave custody of the boy to his mother for the purpose of deciding whether to donate his organs.

Poor woman.  I can't imagine a harder decision to have to make.

[TinkerBelly]

[quote author=puzzld link=topic=20617.msg1315242#msg1315242 date=1245968019]
I looked back at the article I linked and it didn't say he was being removed, just that he could be and that ...Poor woman.  I can't imagine a harder decision to have to make.

[/quote][quote author=Accidenttraffic link=topic=20617.msg1313526#msg1313526 date=1245801156]


http://www.bostonherald.com/news/reg...icleid=1180721
A 7-year-old boy died today after being taken off life-support following a series of brutal beatings allegedly at the hands of his Worcester dad - with the most vicious attack coming on Father’s Day.
[/quote]

Sorry Puzz.  It was in the first article of the thread that said he had been removed from life support prematurely.  It was published June 23rd  :| and the hearing was held today.

[nestlequikie]

Daddy's girlfriend, Tiffany, has a MySpace....

http://www.myspace.com/tiff62980

And on her "Details" section:

Children: I don't want kids



Poor Nathaniel    No more pain, little one, no more pain.

[TinkerBelly]

Friday, June 26, 2009


Boy to be organ donor
Autopsy also scheduled



By Shaun Sutner and Scott Croteau TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
ssutner@telegram.com

WORCESTER —  Seven-year-old Nathaniel Turner, declared brain dead after allegedly being repeatedly beaten by his father, was expected to be removed from a ventilator overnight, according to Detective Capt. Edward J. McGinn Jr.

Nathaniel, unconscious when he arrived at at UMass Memorial Medical Center — University Campus Sunday, was to have his organs removed for donation, and his body then transferred to the medical examiner’s office in Boston for an autopsy to determine the cause of death, the captain said.

The boy’s father, Leslie G. Schuler, 36, and the father’s girlfriend, Tiffany Hyman, 28, have already been charged in the assault, and a murder investigation is continuing.

Mr. Schuler is charged with two counts of assault and battery on a child causing serious bodily injuries, five counts of assault and battery on a child with injuries, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of assault with intent to murder. He was being held on $250,000 cash bail.

Ms. Hyman was charged with two counts of assault and battery on a child causing serious bodily injuries. While it appears she did not assault Nathaniel, police said, she could have intervened and stopped the abuse.

She was being held on $50,000 cash bail.

Nathaniel was living with his grandmother in Alabama before coming here recently to spend the summer with Mr. Schuler, who had been embroiled in a paternity despite with the boy’s mother, Alicia Turner. Mr. Schuler and Ms. Turner agreed in December to DNA testing through the state Department of Revenue.

Judge Paula M. Carey, chief justice of the Probate and Family Court, said yesterday that she reviewed the file in the case and found nothing to indicate that a judge had granted Mr. Schuler visitation rights or custody.

“The tests were done and he is the father,” Judge Carey said of the DNA testing.

Some of the boy’s family members, including his mother, Ms. Turner, and friends arrived at the hospital yesterday afternoon where they went to the fifth-floor pediatric unit. Ms Turner, who lost a 3-year-old son in a fire in 2002, entered the unit with another person while the other visitors stayed in the waiting room.

David P. Fosu, 28, of Worcester, who said he has known Ms. Turner since 2000, said he held the boy’s hand and cried softly yesterday morning in the pediatric intensive care unit.

“I was talking to him,” Mr. Fosu, a nursing assistant at another hospital, said in an interview yesterday outside UMass Memorial. “There was nothing, no response. It’s hard.”

Mr. Fosu, who met Ms. Turner through a girlfriend after he arrived in this country from his native Ghana in 1996, said he knew the boy well and often had spent time with him and his mother.

“She’s a good person. She’s a good girl,” he said. “Alicia is always there for you. Right now, she’s in pain because of the tragedy that happened to her.”

Funeral arrangements had not yet been decided, Mr. Fosu said. However, it is likely that the funeral would be here in Massachusetts, rather than Alabama, where Nathaniel spent much of his life, he said.

No family members were in the waiting room of the pediatric ICU early last night.

The family had released a statement to the public and media earlier in the day through officials at UMass Memorial Medical Center. “We want to express our thanks for the outpouring of support and love we have received during this terrible time. Many people knew and loved Nathaniel, and we know that they grieve with us. However, we do not wish to be interviewed and we have asked the hospital not to release any information; we ask simply that you respect our privacy during this painful time.”

During a news conference yesterday, Gov. Deval L. Patrick also weighed in on the case.

“I’m horrified, obviously,” the governor said. “That poor little boy. I want to know more about it, and I want to know whether there was any state role in it.”

Gary V. Murray, Steven H. Foskett Jr., and Danielle M. Williamson of the Telegram & Gazette staff contributed to this report.
http://www.telegram.com/article/20090626/NEWS/906260398/1116/NEWSREWIND

[titoswifey]

I read they were donating his organs to science. I hope instead they go to children that need them.

[Wicket]

They will help people either way, but it would be nice if they matched the organs that they could with children who needed them more immediately.

If you donate your organs to science does that mean they have no chance of transplantation? They just go to research?

[TinkerBelly]

[quote author=Laurie_khikhi link=topic=20617.msg1315966#msg1315966 date=1246023834]
I read they were donating his organs to science. I hope instead they go to children that need them.


[/quote][quote author=Wicket link=topic=20617.msg1315968#msg1315968 date=1246024058]
They will help people either way, but it would be nice if they matched the organs that they could with children who needed them more immediately.

If you donate your organs to science does that mean they have no chance of transplantation? They just go to research?
[/quote]
Ultimately it depends on how long certain organs went without oxygen. This boy is considered brain dead but his organs have continued to receive oxygen by the vent.  To be considered viable for transplantation the organs would have to be removed before the ventilator is discontinued. 

[titoswifey]

He died. RIP nathaniel


http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/06/boy_in_fathers.html


Seven-year-old Nathaniel Turner was taken off life support and died early today at UMass Memorial Medical Center, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette website reported.

The boy had been declared brain-dead on Tuesday. The boy’s father, Leslie G. Schuler, 36, and his girlfriend, Tiffany Hyman, both of Worcester, have pleaded not guilty to multiple assault charges in connection with the boy's fatal injuries. District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. has said he expects Schuler will be prosecuted for homicide.

Police said the boy was the victim of emotional and physical abuse beginning on May 19 that culminated in the fatal beating of the boy on Father’s Day.