Despite a battle with meningitis about eight years ago that left Christopher O’Reilly

paralyzed and brain-damaged he is still a happy individual. Living with his mother and stepfather

in the rolling green countryside near Springfield as of today, his story all begins when he stole a

neighbor’s Rototiller. O’Reilly was unable to get probation and had to settle with a security

prison in Springfield. There was “inadequate medical treatment”, his family stated that

punishment past the Eighth Amendment is calling cruel and unusual. Family of his speak that

“prison officials were vicious”.

All of the statements including one from his mother “ O'reilly's contracting of an

infection from sleeping on the concrete floor of a confinement cell his mother maintained.

Placed in solitary confinement because he would not clean his cell. The disease went

undiagnosed for eight days, he has been paralyzed for an eight day period and also brain

damaged” .

When he came back, “he wasn’t worth anything,” his mother said. Doctors even said “ he would

be just like a vegetable oil for the rest of his life. He can not talk just blinking and he drools a lot.

As a result of everything that has gone on he was awarded $250,000 from the state and it so

happens to be the largest legal settlement in federal court in 10 years.”That sounds like a lot of

money , but it really isn’t when considering everything and looking at Christopher's human life

as well as how they treated him and all”. “We thought we should at least get a million” his

mother remarked “.

Now Chris is able to respond in incomplete sentences to questions and can carry on slow

communication. “He doesn’t speak good but he talks,” his mom said. He currently like to watch

television “I like TV , and smoking” O’Reilly put in his say so. “I am happy”, while puffing a

cigarette he has a lot to be happy about. From the day he woke up from a 10-week-long coma,
physical therapy of his has tended well to his recovery. He lives to his 26th birthday “I had a

heck of a birthday, I’ve seen several friends and had a big cake,” he spoke slowly.