WANAQUE

Mother of child who died at NJ facility wasn't told about virus outbreak for weeks

Steve Janoski
NorthJersey

When Kristine Deleg decided four years ago to put her daughter, Elizabeth, into long-term care at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, she thought she was getting the best of both worlds: continuous medical care for her persistently ill child at a facility less than an hour from her Westchester County, New York, home. 

Kristine Deleg's daughter, Elizabeth, 16, was among eight children who died after being sickened by a viral outbreak at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation this month. The decision to put her child in long-term care was among the most agonizing of her life, she said.

But when Elizabeth, who was non-communicative and struggled with lifelong respiratory issues, stomach problems and seizures, died Tuesday morning at age 16, she became the latest casualty of an adenovirus outbreak that claimed the lives of seven children and sickened a dozen more as it tore through the facility. 

That left Deleg, 52, wondering why the hospital didn't tell her about the outbreak until Monday — nearly three weeks after Elizabeth was admitted to St. Joseph's University Medical Center in Paterson, and just one day before she died. 

Deleg, who lives in Ossining, New York, never had an issue with her daughter's care, and said she was blindsided by the sudden lapse. 

"I never suspected any sign of trouble," she said Wednesday. "That's why I'm really shocked.

More on the facility:NJ facility where children died from virus outbreak was cited for deficiencies

Adenovirus:What to know about adenovirus, which is behind deaths of 7 NJ children

Kristine Deleg's daughter, Elizabeth, Elizabeth, had suffered from asthma and debilitating seizures since she was only months old. She was among eight children who died in an adenovirus outbreak at a long-term care center in Wanaque this month.

"You know that these kids are frail — it's not like you and I," Deleg said. "There was definitely a breakdown in communication ... when you're dealing with this type of situation, and you're dealing with these children that are so fragile, that's something you have to do right away. I didn't know the scope until literally the day she passed."  

State health officials said Wednesday afternoon that it is difficult to know how the virus wormed its way into the Haskell facility, which provides treatment for severely debilitated and medically fragile children, among others. 

Adenoviruses are common viruses that affect the lining of the airways, intestines, eyes or urinary tract and are responsible for some colds, coughs, sore throats, pinkeye and diarrhea.

The illnesses are usually mild, but they can be deadly for people like Elizabeth. State Health Commissioner Dr. Shereef Elnahal said the virus strain has a devastating effect on children with weakened immune systems. 

The center had been cited for several deficiencies in recent years that could lead to the spread of infection, and it failed at times to properly supervise patients and handle medical equipment in a sanitary manner, according to government inspection reports.

Elizabeth Poulos

But the center's administrator said this week that staff members have taken all available infection control and prevention measures to protect residents' health and safety. 

The center is licensed to care for 92 children and 135 adults, and can care for more than 60 children who depend on ventilators to breathe. But the state has barred the center from taking new patients until the outbreak ends. 

Deleg said she is trying to pick up the pieces. But she still can't grasp the center's lack of transparency — she would have dealt with things differently if she had known about the outbreak, she said.

Still, she's unsure if her daughter would have survived, given the virus' effect on Elizabeth's exhausted immune system.

"My daughter couldn't fight this anymore," she said. "I think it was too much on her. She just fought a good fight. But one day I said to her, 'You know what? I know you're done. I know you are, sweetie.' She couldn't tell me in words. But I knew." 

Email: janoski@northjersey.com