The reasons why Jesica's Mother refuses to allow her daughter's name anywhere near Duke's so called, "Jesica Fund". To: All news medias

From: Mack Mahoney After the tragic and horrible lingering death of Jesica Santillan at the hands of Duke doctors, it is hurtful enough for Jesica’s Mother to learn that Duke lawyers routinely disrespect her daughter, referring to her as "Saint Jesica". In addition, yesterday the spin doctors in ‘Duke's News Department’ released the ‘partial’ contents of a letter from Kurt Dixon, the family’s Attorney, advising them ‘NOT’ to use Jesica’s name, or image to promote their new 4 million dollar ‘perpetual’ FUND. A fund which was supposedly designed to aid ‘poor’ Latino families. The Duke statement which was released to the press makes it appear that Jesica’s mother is 'ungrateful' to Duke for it’s offer to help memorialize her daughter. A Duke spokesman was quoted as saying that Duke officials were 'surprised' and 'disappointed' at the news. However, it stopped short of explaining why the Santillan family made such a decision.

Duke's proposed plan for the Jesica Fund

Duke proposes that over a period of five years, it will invest $200,000 per year, of it’s own money (totaling $1 million) to establish the so called "Jesica fund". In conjunction, over the same period of time, Duke is asking the public for donations totaling another $3 million dollars. This, in order to raise the ultimate $4 million dollars needed to create the fund. Once established, the fund is thought to produce an approximate $200,000 annually to aid ‘poor’ Latino families. But, is that really all the fund is designed to do?

Problems with the Fund

The problems that Magdalena Santillan (Jesica’s mother) sees with this fund are as follows;
#1. Duke established the fund specifically to benefit ‘Latino’ families with critically ill children. The Santillan family feels that it should have been designed to benefit all children, regardless of race.
#2. On May 9, 2003, Duke doctors and administrative officials act as though they are heartbroken over the death of Jesica. Thus they thought it appropriate to do something great for ‘poor’ Latino’s by establishing a fund in the child’s name. The fund would be specifically designed to help provide support services such as temporary housing, food and interpreters to families of young Hispanic patients at Duke Hospital.
The truth is, Duke is simply moving funds from one pocket to the other. Duke already offers to ‘Latino’ families all the things that the fund is designed to provide (ie) Duke has many Spanish interpreters already on their payroll. They also provide ‘meal tickets’ that can be used in Duke’s cafeteria, and they provide deep ‘discounts’ at local Hotels and ‘free’ lodging at their Ronald McDonald House, near the Hospital.
Duke says the fund is to be controlled, in part, by a Duke appointed board of directors. To Magdalena, this is a clear indication that after five years, when fully funded, this fund will ultimately be used to pay $200,000 of Duke’s annual overhead. Covering the cost of such things as Spanish interpreters, Duke’s part of ‘discount’ agreements with local hotels (for ‘Latino’ lodging) and it will most certainly increase Duke’s portion of the profits generated from it’s cafeteria facility. And remember, since it is to be a ‘perpetual’ fund, it will do this forever and ever!
#3. Finally, contrary to what Duke has reported in the press, it must be noted that the April 2003, visit paid to Jesica’s mother by Duke president, Nan Keohane was brief, lasting only about a half hour. During the meeting nothing was ever mentioned about a 'JESICA FUND', or any fund for that matter! Ms. Keohane and Ms. Santillan discussed the possibility of Duke building a children's 'CLINIC', which would bear Jesica's name. Then, later (on May 8th) when Duke announced that a $4 million dollar fund was to be named for Jesica, it sounded as if it would be a good thing for Latino families with sick children. In turn Magdalena chose not to say anything and Duke got away with a lie about what had 'actually' been discussed during that meeting.
However, after having an opportunity to analyze the fund, and especially after learning that Duke Lawyers ‘sarcasticlly’ refer to her daughter as "Saint Jesica", Magdalena thinks the whole thing must be some sort of ‘sick joke’ being played on her, and on her daughter's memory. This is why, Magdalena Santillan doesn’t want her daughters name anywhere near that fund. In fact, she thinks that the whole Latino community should be outraged by all of this.