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Inside the ‘tridemic’ | Morning Newsletter

And the history of the ‘Boy in the Box’ case

"Tyshanek Sutton (left) places a nebulizer mask over the mouth and nose of her daughter, Zariya Sutton-Pack, with help from John Smith (right), the only respiratory therapist on duty in the emergency department at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children."
"Tyshanek Sutton (left) places a nebulizer mask over the mouth and nose of her daughter, Zariya Sutton-Pack, with help from John Smith (right), the only respiratory therapist on duty in the emergency department at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children."Read moreJessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
    by Taylor Allen
    Published 

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

We’re supposed to get a break from the rain, finally. Expect mostly sunny skies with a high of 53.

Fair warning: Our two main stories have heavier themes, particularly around sickness and death. The latter portion of the newsletter is intentionally lighter for that reason.

The tridemic of COVID, RSV, and the flu is slamming hospitals across the country. Our lead story follows how North Philly’s St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children is handling overcrowding as it battles a particularly brutal virus season.

If you see this 🔑 in today’s newsletter, that means we’re highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.

— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

North Philly children are struggling to breath and waiting hours to be seen at the ER

Children’s hospitals nationwide are overwhelmed with kids suffering from an unusually early and severe onslaught of seasonal respiratory viruses.

St. Christopher’s in North Philly is feeling the pressure.

In this swath of the city, chronic disease and poverty exacerbate the crisis.

  1. The neighborhood surrounding the hospital at Erie Avenue and Front Street has the city’s highest rate of childhood asthma.

  2. More than 90% of life-threatening asthma attacks in children are triggered by respiratory viruses.

The combination of viruses and asthma can quickly lead to hospitalization for children who live near St. Christopher’s.

Continue reading to follow an emergency-room doctor and nurses through a day as they help dozens of children struggling to breathe.

‘Boy in the Box’: The history of the Philadelphia homicide case

In February 1957, police discovered the body of a young boy wrapped in a plaid blanket and placed in a large cardboard box just off Susquehanna Road in Philadelphia’s Fox Chase section.

With his identity unknown, the child was known as the “Boy in the Box.” The case has never been solved.

Philadelphia Police are expected to release the boy’s identity today. Below is what we’ve known for decades:

What did police do to identify the boy at the time?

Police sent out hundreds of thousands of circulars with photos of the boy and the blanket he was wrapped in, as well as a detailed description of his body and where he was found.

Those efforts led to hundreds of tips, but none panned out.

How was the Boy in the Box buried?

Detectives held a funeral for the boy months after he was found. They took up a collection to pay for the associated costs and received help from the Funeral Directors Association of Philadelphia.

The Mann Funeral Home handled the service. He was buried in a potter’s field in Holmesburg. A marker for the boy’s grave was later installed at his burial site.

Keep reading for more information (and unknowns) in the case.

What you should know today

  1. A dispute over special elections and control of the Pennsylvania state House is likely to head to court.

  2. A Camden addiction clinic agreed to pay the federal government $3.15 million in a settlement over an alleged kickback scheme.

  3. Residents in Roxborough and Manayunk are resisting SEPTA’s bus overhaul because of a proposed loss of two direct connections to Center City. 🔑

  4. An under-the-radar parking garage bill sparked the first City Hall dust-up over the Sixers’ arena proposal.

  5. Carbon Copy, a combined winery and brewery, opened in West Philadelphia.

  6. Local coronavirus numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.

🧠 Philly Trivia Time 🧠

These are some of the best board game stores in the Philly area. But which of them is not in the city?

A. Thirsty Dice

B. Queen & Rook Game Cafe

C. Redcap’s Corner

D. Alternate Universes

Find out if you know the answer.

What we’re...

🗳️ Watching: The potential candidates running in the special election to replace former Philadelphia City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart. 🔑

🎉 Congratulating: FarmerJawn’s Christa Barfield as she takes over Westtown School’s Farm.

💭 Fantasizing: About renting a cabin in the Poconos for a quick weekend getaway.

🧩 Unscramble the Anagram 🧩

Hint: standalone orchestra

HIPPY POLLS

Think you know? Send your guess our way at morningnewsletter@inquirer.com. We’ll give a shout-out to a reader at random who answers correctly. Today’s shout-out goes to Amanda Nordstrom, who correctly guessed Philly Aids Thrift as Wednesday’s answer.

Photo of the Day

And that’s been your Thursday. I’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow 📧.