Nurses Plan Vigil For Philadelphia Student's Asthma Death
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — School nurses planned a vigil for Thursday night to honor a 12-year-old who died after an apparent asthma attack at a public school with no nurse.
About 22 percent of Philadelphia children suffer from asthma, nearly twice the national average.
Vigil organizer Peg Devine, a nurse, says she once ran an "Asthma Busters" club at her downtown school, teaching more than 100 students how to manage the illness. But she says part-time nurses no longer have time for such extras.
A family lawyer says Laporshia Massey died after she arrived home from school last month in distress, and her father drove her to a hospital.
Lawyer Ronald Pollack says the school had twice called home to say Laporshia wasn't feeling well. But he says the family never sensed she was critically ill.
(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
