Angelika "Angie" Arndt

This is the story of 7 y.o Angelika "Angie" Ardnt.

Angie had been removes from her bio parents when she was a toddler and had since been from foster home to foster home.  She had finally found a place called home with her new foster parents Donna and Dan Pavlik. Angie had been diagnosed with ADHD. She had improved at home and at school and had handled the transition into kindergarten just fine. Despite that, Angie was sent to RLDTC or Rice Lake Day Treatment Center to help prepare her for first grade and to monitor her new medications. When Donna sent her foster daughter to RLDTC on April 24, 2006 I'm sure she had no idea that she sent her to her death.  Now before I get into the story, you have to keep in mind that Angie was diagnosed with ADHD, which means she was a little harder to handle then most children. But that in NO way gave this "treatment" facility to treat her like they did.

Less than two hours into her first day, Angie was placed, by staff, in a special isolated "cool down" room for hitting her own chin with her hair. When she continued to fidget, she was placed in the prone position for 85 minutes. If you are not familiar with the prone position, it is a position in which you are laid out. Over the next few weeks, Angie spent 20 hours in cool down and 14 hours in the prone restraint. The behavior that got her in cool down, she would wiggle in her chair or fall asleep. Another thing I want to point out, the meds she was on caused drowsiness.

These are what was reported to be Angie's final hours. How scared these poor little girl must have been. After blowing bubbles in her milk threw a straw, Angie was placed in cool down. During time out, Angie couldnt sit still in her chair so she was taken to a "special" cool down room with no windows or furniture other then the cool down chair. Staff reminded Angie that cool down time didnt start until she sat still and in proper position. Instead, Angie curled up in the chair began to cry and appeared to had fallen asleep. After about five minutes, Angie woke up and began to swing her legs back and forth in the chair. Staff warned her that if she didnt stop they would have to place her in a control hold for "saftey". Angie continued to swing her legs and cry, staff reported she made an aggressive move while in the chair, so they took her down into the prone restraint. One staff person by the name of Bradley Rideout, who weighed about 250lbs. placed his body across her lower back and held her face down. Other staff held her arms and legs. Angie remained in this position for over an hour.

In a report written by RLDTC following Angie's death, staff reported that Angie stayed on the floor making cooing noises after they freed her. They left her there for about five minutes thinking she had fallen asleep, but when she failed to respond to questions the staff rolled her over and discovered that her lips were turning blue. 911 was called and Angie was rushed to the Ped's ICU of Children's Hospital and Clinics in Minneapolis, MN. She was placed on life support and pronounced dead the next day.

The autopsy found that Angie died from complications of chest compression asphyxia, she received a grave anoxic brain injury which resulted in brain death. She had hemorrhages of the pancreas, colon, stomach and duodenum from abdominal trauma from the hold. Her death was ruled a homicide because of the restraint impaired her ability to breath. Bradley Rideout plead no contest. No one from the management or ownership was held responsible for the restraint policies. And although Rice Lake Day Treatment Center was closed, the owner, Northwest Counseling and Guidance was allowed to keep it 11 other facilities.

In reality, this little girl died because she blew bubbles in her milk. This facility knew she had ADHD. If you are not familiar with ADHD, it is impossible for a child who suffers from this disorder to sit still. It wasnt that she was being bad or disobeying on purpose, she was doing what this disorder caused her to do. All her foster mother wanted was help getting Angie adjusted to going to first grade, and monitoring her meds. These "treatment" centers want you to believe that your child it 100% safe. And maybe sometimes they are, but those other times these people are NOT trained to care for children who suffer from certain disorders. PLEASE, PLEASE, do your research on ANY treatment center that you are sending your child too.

R.I.P Angelika Arndt. 

**DISABILITY RIGHTS WISCONSIN**