Funds Sent to Transplant Patient Frozen; Spending by Mother Told

Bank accounts containing what’s left of the fortune donated to save liver-transplant patient Ronnie DeSillers were frozen Monday after a judge was told the dead boy’s mother had spent some of the charity money on jewelry, clothes and furniture, a state attorney said.

Dade Circuit Judge Francis Christie appointed a curator to manage the estate in accordance with a petition filed by state Atty. Gen. Robert Butterworth and State Atty. Janet Reno of Miami.

Ronnie’s mother, Maria DeSillers, has spent more than half of the money donated to her 7-year-old son, who died last year while awaiting a fourth transplant, the petition said.

Among the donors was President Reagan, who, like many others, was touched by news reports of the theft of funds raised by Ronnie’s classmates. He gave $1,000.

When Ronnie died at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh last April 29, an account in his name had accumulated $509,913, the petition said. The account balance on Feb. 17 was $239,288, said Fred Kerstein, assistant state attorney and chief of the economic criminal division.

“Based upon an examination of bank records, at least $47,000 appears to have been expended by Maria DeSillers on jewelry, clothing, furniture, housing expenses, an automobile and automobile expenses, these funds having been assets of this estate,” the petition said.

DeSillers could not be contacted Monday. There was no answer at telephones listed for her home and the DeSillers Foundation, while a message left with her attorney, Harold Robbins, was not immediately returned.

She is being sued by Children’s Hospital for failing to pay $261,189 of Ronnie’s $424,302 bill.

In refusing to pay the balance, DeSillers charged the hospital with giving poor care to her son and threatened to file a malpractice suit.

DeSillers said through Robbins that she had never asked the public to donate money and she was not legally a charity. She also said she was entitled to the money as Ronnie’s sole heir.