Report details family's extensive care for Danny Santulli since Mizzou Fiji hazing
Danny Santulli's family has created a hospital room for him in the living room of their Eden Prairie, Minnesota, home, his dad wrote in an annual guardian report filed in Boone County Circuit Court last week.
A little over a year ago, Santulli, a University of Missouri freshman, was a pledge to the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, also known as Fiji. Santulli participated in "Pledge Dad Reveal Night" at the fraternity house, where he was directed to drink a bottle of vodka.
The hazing caused alcohol poisoning that resulted in brain damage for Santulli. The student was left unable to walk, speak or see and in need of constant care.
In the report filed by Santulli's dad, Tom Santulli, on Oct. 24, the father wrote that the family had made their living room into a makeshift hospital room.
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"Both Mary Pat and Tom along with two other children learned and were trained in Colorado how to care for Danny at home," Tom Santulli wrote, naming his wife.
The elder Santulli wrote that his son was tracking better through sound, more alert, and reacts to the voices of family members.
"Danny is stable for the time being due to care provided by parents, siblings, caregivers, etc.," Tom Santulli wrote. "We are exploring other treatments to provide better quality of life."
He wrote that money from settlements of civil lawsuits was paying for their son's care and that the financial plan involves an irrevocable trust for services at the discretion of the trustee.
One of the parents is with their son at all times, Tom Santulli wrote.
"My wife is main caregiver and I am helping with caregiver tasks," he wrote, adding that they also have hired caregivers.
The fraternity has been removed from campus.
Eleven of the fraternity members face criminal charges related to the incident; 10 are charged with felony hazing.
In court Monday, Judge Kevin Crane scheduled the next hearing for defendant Samuel Lane, of Columbia, for Nov. 23.
The police statement that was the basis for the felony hazing charge against Lane includes text messages between Lane and defendant Fiji member Thomas Shultz in which Lane agreed to Shultz's suggestion of a "20-minute lineup" and liked a text from Shultz stating the pledges should be given booze and yelled at "about being alcohol hazed then blindfolds off and head to courtyard."
Lane also asked the fraternity members in a text if someone could help bring the booze to the courtyard, texting that it was in John O'Neill's room. O'Neill, another felony defendant, was the "house dad" for the fraternity.
In another Monday court hearing, Judge Hasbrouck Jacobs set the next hearing for O'Neill, of Columbia, for Dec. 12. O'Neill's attorney had requested more time for discovery.
The alcohol was located in O'Neill's room, according to text messages cited in the police report that served as the basis for the charge against him.
According to the report, O'Neill allegedly texted Shultz at 8:48 p.m. on the day of the party Oct. 19, 2021: "I'm here, how much alcohols did you want outside?"
Roger McKinney is the Tribune's education reporter. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on Twitter at @rmckinney9.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Report details care for Danny Santulli since Mizzou Fiji hazing
