Melbourne, Florida | November 30, 2022
Some stories are difficult to write.
This is one of them.
Tarionn “Tari” Hanner-Jackson’s mother, Kiyana Durham, reached out to The Vivid Faces of the Vanished to help share her son’s story—not because she wants people to remember how he died, but because she never wants another family to experience the pain she now carries every single day.
On November 30, 2022, 13-year-old Tari, a nonverbal child with special needs, was left in the care of Angels on Earth Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care (PPEC) in Melbourne, Florida.
His family had trusted the facility with the one thing that mattered most.
Their son.
A Preventable Tragedy
According to the wrongful death lawsuit, Tari had a well-documented history of pica, a condition that caused him to place non-food items into his mouth.
His mother and family repeatedly warned staff that he required constant, continuous, and uninterrupted supervision because of the danger this behavior posed.
Despite those warnings, prosecutors and court filings allege Tari was left alone in an area where a latex medical glove was within his reach.
While unsupervised, he placed the glove into his mouth.
He choked.
By the time first responders arrived, it was too late.
Fire rescue personnel reportedly discovered the latex glove lodged in Tari’s airway as he was being loaded into the ambulance.
He was only 13 years old.
His death was not ruled a homicide.
Instead, it was determined to be the result of fatal medical neglect and gross negligence.
Lawsuit and Facility Closure
In March 2023, Tari’s parents, Kiyana Durham and Tarence Jackson Hanner Sr., filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Angels on Earth, alleging the facility failed to provide the supervision they knew their son required.
As investigators examined the facility, another disturbing case emerged.
The facility’s administrator, Carlos Cabrera, was arrested on allegations that he fraudulently obtained more than $400,000 through Medicaid billing schemes unrelated to Tari’s death.
Following the investigations, Angels on Earth permanently closed its Melbourne location along with its other Central Florida facilities.
A Mother’s Mission
For Kiyana, however, closure has never come.
No criminal charges were filed against the caregivers responsible for supervising Tari.
Determined that her son’s life would not be forgotten, Kiyana launched a public advocacy campaign and petition calling for changes to Florida law that would require criminal prosecution in cases of confirmed fatal medical neglect involving vulnerable patients.
Tari was more than the circumstances of his death.
His mother remembers a little boy who loved being outdoors.
A child whose smile could brighten a room.
A son who deserved protection.
A son who deserved to come home.
Today, Kiyana continues fighting—not only for Tari, but for every medically fragile child whose safety depends entirely on the adults entrusted with their care.
Because no parent should ever receive the phone call telling them their child died from something everyone knew could have been prevented.
© The Vivid Faces of the Vanished
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