3 Year Old Died of Swelling on the Brain Inquest Told

By 250 News

        Prince George, B.C.  - The Coroner’s Inquest into the death of Savannah Hall has been told  the 3 year old died of swelling of her brain.  That is the  testimony provided by Dr. Glenn Taylor, the Pathologist who performed the autopsy on Savannah Hall.

What the pathologist can’t answer is  why  the brain  started swelling. 

In his initial  autopsy report, Dr. Taylor indicated Savannah’s brain  injury and lack of oxygen to her brain was a result of myocarditis.  That is an inflammation of the heart muscle which can  cause  arythmia and  reduce levels of oxygen getting to the brain. 

Taylor says he then revised his  conclusion  after hearing the foster family  Savannah  was living with, was under investigation of abuse and neglect.  "The brain damage  could be the result of a  blunt trauma,  lack of oxygen, or infections" Taylor testified, and he revised  his findings to  indicate that the cause of the brain swelling was "undetermined" . 

 Taylor says it was clear Savannah had myocarditis,  "I must ask, did she die with myocarditis or of myocarditis, I am no longer certain.".    He also testified that while there were several  bruises, old and new, on the child’s body,  there were some that  caused him concern because they were not in the areas which are subject to  bruising  through the typical activities of  a child.

Earlier in the day,  a Ministry employee testified  that on at least one matter in the child’s file, the Ministry dropped the ball.

The Ministry of Children and Family’s Peter Cunningham, told the inquest it was his responsibility to see that there was follow up on the matter of Savannah Hall being restrained in her crib and he did not do so. 

According to Cunningham, the foster mother, Patty Keen, had advised that Savannah was being restrained because she had night terrors, and in the past had broken her cribs.  Cunningham testified a meeting with a paediatrician had been cancelled, and that the foster mother had advised that she had spoken with a paediatrician who said the restraints were o.k. given the circumstances.

Throughout his testimony, Cunningham made reference to the Keen family having provided foster care to numerous children over the years, and that Patty Keen, had skills that were above the level of the average foster home.

Savannah was in foster care in the Keen home when she was taken to hospital in Prince George in January of 2001.  She was then transferred to Children’s Hospital in Vancouver where she died on January 26^th of 2001.  She was three years and four months old.

The inquest into her death is expected to last two weeks, and will hear from 33 more witnesses.  The jury can only decide when and how Savannah died and while it can make recommendations to prevent such a death from happening again, the inquest cannot assess blame.

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