FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Richard Blodgett, a single father, was jailed on drug charges when an Arizona child welfare agency worker broke the news that his son was brain dead and living alone days after was brought into the state. custody.
Blodgett screamed and cried and screamed some more. Jakob was her only child, a “pretty damn cute,” curious 9-year-old boy who loved remote-controlled cars and video games.
Blodgett is now struggling to figure out how it happened.
A medical examiner listed Jakob’s death in late December as natural with complications from diabetes, a condition he was diagnosed with as a child. Specifically, type 1 diabetes, which means your body could not produce enough insulin to survive.
Blodgett said she suspects the Arizona Department of Child Safety failed in its duty to protect her son by not monitoring his blood sugar or making sure Jakob had enough insulin to prevent a serious complication, a life-threatening condition known as ketoacidosis.
“They couldn’t keep him alive for two weeks, two weeks,” the father told The Associated Press during a recent prison break. “It’s absolutely crazy. That was my pride and joy. I got lost. I am completely lost. My family is completely lost.”
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is investigating Jakob’s death. The office declined a request to interview Sheriff Paul Penzone, citing the ongoing investigation.
The Department of Child Safety also declined to comment specifically on the case, citing privacy laws. But spokesman Darren DaRonco said that, in general, foster parents should receive training from a health professional before taking in a child with any medical condition.
DaRonco did not respond to follow-up questions, including whether Jakob’s insulin pump was removed and whether the boy’s regular doctor was consulted about his care — questions raised by Blodgett and his mother, Cheryl Doenges. They said Jakob couldn’t manage his own insulin.
In the fiscal year that ended last June, about 26 children died in the agency’s custody, including from overdoses, medical conditions, natural and as-yet-undetermined causes. In the previous fiscal year, that number was 14. The numbers add up to a death rate of about 97 per 100,000 children during that period, the most recent for which data is available.
This rate is higher than the total number of infant deaths in Arizona. Nationally, about 55 children died for every 100,000 children in the general population from all causes in 2020, a number similar to that in Arizona.
Karin Kline, director of child welfare initiatives at the Center for Family Involvement in Phoenix, said the death of a child is a cause for concern, especially if it occurs in state custody.
“Be assured that someone will look into whether there is any suggestion that the death was the result of negligence or abuse,” she said.
Jakob and his father were staying in a motel when Blodgett was arrested in December. Blodgett, who already had a drug record pending and spent time in jail, said he had been using a backhoe for most of the day and had stopped at a gas station to take a nap. The Show Low Police Department report confirmed that, but officers wrote that they suspected Blodgett quit because of drug use.
According to the report, authorities eventually found more than 4,000 fentanyl pills in Blodgett’s possession. Blodgett was booked into the Holbrook Jail and charged with one count of drug possession, Navajo County Superior Court documents show.
Blodgett told the AP that he used fentanyl for pain management after losing 300 pounds with weight loss surgery.
“I wasn’t pretending. I didn’t abuse them. I was using them so I could work and take care of my son,” Blodgett said. “Unfortunately, they are illegal. I can’t get around this. But they were stronger than my medication and they worked.”
Jakob was alone in the motel room when an officer picked him up and alerted the Department of Child Safety, according to the police report. Blodgett said someone at the motel was always monitoring his son, who he called while police were confronting him.
He told Jakob he had been in trouble, and the boy asked if his father was OK, Blodgett said. The two often traveled together through vast stretches of Arizona, taking selfies, stopping at gas stations for a snack and playing with Nerf guns.
“The last time I saw my son, he was already dead,” Blodgett said.
Doenges was unable to make the trip to see Jakob at the hospital in Washington state where he lives because of inclement weather. But he asked a friend in Arizona to sit with Jakob, pray with him and play music for him so he wouldn’t be alone, even though he didn’t know she was there.
Freed from jail, Blodgett arranged to drive to Phoenix, more than three hours away, to see his unresponsive son in a hospital bed. Hospital staff placed a teddy bear next to the boy, as well as a heart pendant: Blodgett kept one half and the other half will be cremated with Jakob, Doenges said.
Blodgett took pictures, hugged and kissed her son and talked to him. The hospital held a memorial for Jakob on Dec. 26, the day some of his organs were harvested and then donated with Blodgett’s blessing, along with a moment of silence.
Before the year was out, Blodgett was back in prison.
Doenges said his son will have to find a way to rebuild his life.
“My suggestion to him is to live a very good life in Jakob’s memory and do something positive,” she said. “He probably didn’t even hear me, he’s so full of pain.”
Associated Press reporter Camille Fassett in Seattle contributed to this report.
I’m a passionate and motivated journalist with a focus on world news. My experience spans across various media outlets, including Buna Times where I serve as an author. Over the years, I have become well-versed in researching and reporting on global topics, ranging from international politics to current events.