Liver Boy’s Mother Investigated on Possible Illegal Use of Funds

Thousands of dollars donated to 7-year-old Ronnie DeSillers for his celebrated battle against liver disease appear to have been illegally spent for other purposes by his mother after the boy’s death, a state investigator said today.

Bank records show Maria DeSillers used donations to repay a $5,000 loan to her former boyfriend and to pay $1,765 in rent for her bay-front apartment. In all, the records show, she made $176,000 in withdrawals from a fund set up for the donations, much of it without documenting how the money was spent.

“We’ve got to find out what happened to this money,” said John Spagna, acting regional supervisor of the licensing division of the Florida Department of State.

“It appears preliminarily that Mrs. DeSillers has violated the law because it looks like donations for Ronnie have been transferred to other accounts and used for other purposes than for what they were intended,” Spagna said.

“I would like Mrs. DeSillers to speak with me. That would expedite the whole process,” he said. “Unfortunately, she doesn’t like to call us as much as she likes to call you (the media.)”

DeSillers, who herself is currently hospitalized with a kidney ailment, has denied any wrongdoing with the money.

“I am not on trial,” she said. “I did not keep track of all the money. Most of it was used to help other kids. If I had to do it over again, I certainly would do things differently. I wouldn’t help other people.”

DeSillers collected the money to pay medical bills for her 7-year-old son, who died in a Pittsburgh hospital last April while awaiting his fourth liver transplant.