This week the Star Tribune’s Chris Serres wrote this heartbreaking account of the brief life and preventable death of 3 year-old Derric Fulks Jr., who died from a fentanyl overdose last year.
It’s a too-familiar story of a Minnesota county, in this case Ramsey, repeatedly and knowingly leaving children in high-risk situations, until the unthinkable happens. Four times the county diverted Derric and his siblings to the minimal-accountability Family Assessment program. This was despite a drug raid which found firearms and ammunition in the home, and despite Derric starting life with marijuana in his system, and suffering serious physical injuries as a toddler.
We are grateful to the Trib, KSTP 5 Investigates, and KARE 11 Investigates – the local media outlets that most keep these children’s stories in the public eye. Their reporting makes it more possible to advocate for reforms.
Watch for our podcast this coming Tuesday where we will interview Star Tribune journalist Chris Serres about how he goes about doing investigative reporting like the Derric Fulks, Jr. story featured in today’s blog.
Derric was exposed and diagnosed with lead poison at a home 693 Western Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55103 and had complications from the age of 1 years old. The medical staff of Allina also mistreated us by not going by medical knowledge and going off of assumption that affected his birthing and delivery, mixing medications as to induce a not ready labor, causing hemorrhages of the mother right after birth.
Hi this is Derric’s mother, I will like to announce publicly to you first that Derric DIED from Maltreatment from Hennepin County Medical professionals, prepping him for surgery for a donation of organs. The donation was unauthorized and was unknown until I demanded the discovery from the Child Protection Case opened based on his death. Derric had infections on his lungs from a blood culture after the exam. The exam is so vague as no stomach containts are sedscribe yet they knew he “digested” a Opioid. I am demanding you change your story on this Web Page and gather better information and not bias intellect. We are of Native American Hertigae and we do not use drugs. I am medically prescribe Marijuana. There were no drugs in my system nor my son’s Derric Jr.