WESTMORELAND, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Westmoreland family is seeking answers after their loved one, who had a history of heart problems, died while in custody at Turney Center Industrial Complex.
Braylin Burnett, 22, was just months away from completing his sentence for drug offenses when he died from heart failure in early July.
"The system just failed him," said Deborah Burnett, his grandmother.
When he was three, Burnett was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a rare cancer that affects your bone marrow and blood. Chemotherapy treatments left him with long-term heart damage.
Burnett's family says the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) was aware of his medical history and the need for annual ultrasounds, but according to doctors who treated him at the end of his life, he hadn't received one in years.
"At the hospital, they said the last one he had was three years ago," Deborah Burnett said.
When I asked TDOC about healthcare for inmates with pre-existing conditions, a spokesperson said they provide "the required constitutional level of health and behavioral health care to all inmates." According to the department's website, its goal is to improve the health status of the inmate population.
On July 5, a Saturday, only hours after a visit with his father, Burnett was admitted to TriStar Centennial Hospital. The family was notified on Monday.
"And then a social worker at the prison said we need someone to make life-or-death decisions for Braylin. And we didn't know things were that bad," his father, Dwayne Burnett, said.
After spending only a short time by Burnett's side at the hospital, the family says a nurse delivered a message from the warden.
"He said this is the last medical report I can give you on Braylin. After this, I won't be able to talk any more about it to you," Deborah Burnett recounted. "What right do they have to withhold stuff from us... We're his family."
Burnett died later that day, with his family kept outside the room.
"Why did he have to die with a bunch of strangers around him? That ain't fair," Dwayne Burnett said.
The family found some comfort in knowing hospital staff tried to connect in Burnett's final moments.
"The nurses and doctors said they whispered in Braylin's ear, 'your family is here, and they love you,' because they wanted him to know we were still there," Deborah Burnett said.
When asked about Burnett's rapid decline, a TDOC spokesperson said they cannot comment on an individual inmate's medical care.
We are waiting to hear more about the policy for inmates on their deathbeds.
"I mean, sometimes you have to use common sense and let us see him and let him have some peace," Deborah Burnett said.
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